Ready or Not
by Exiled Immortal
Summary: There was a future where RWBY won, but Salem had one last trick up her sleeves. Now, the year before they'd reach Beacon, the girls who would become RWBY each find their lives upended by an unprecedented threat and a mysterious ally. A story where the final battle is fought in the past.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I'm trying to get into get back into the rhythm of writing and I figured tackling this might be a good way to shake off some rust. It relies on some classic inspirations that will become obvious as the story progresses, but I think I'm going to have fun with it, and I hope you do as well. If you can't quite figure out what's going on right off the bat, well, that's by design. Thanks to Coeur Al'Aran for helping me develop the concept.

**Beta:** Coeur Al'Aran

* * *

Weiss examined the reflection in her mirror. The girl staring back barely looked like a person at all. Her hair and makeup were flawless, like a doll, carefully done up over the course of three hours under the supervision of one of her father's image consultants. Her dress had already been selected for her, with no input on her part, ensuring that it would complement the outfits her father and brother would be wearing. Buried under all of the product and artifice, Weiss tried not to daydream about running away and becoming a huntress. She would need her wits about her if she was going to get through the night.

Her father had arranged to host another gala at the Schnee Manor, a small affair for close allies of the family, with only about a hundred members of Atlesian high society in attendance. Naturally, the exclusive nature of the event only made appearances more important, especially when it came to the heiress of the SDC.

Weiss sighed to herself. All that was left now was the waiting. To fill the silence, she tapped her scroll as it lay on her dresser, prompting it to blare out news from a local radio station.

_"Our top story tonight – the White Fang strike again! An attack on an SDC convoy this morning left five dead and three wounded. SDC security forces were able to repel the terrorists, but not before unarmed contractors came under fire and part of the shipment was lost. Initial estimates value the financial value of the missing dust at over a hundred thousand lien."_

Weiss scowled. "Of course they're still going on about that."

She had learned of the incident at breakfast, when her father had been called away and returned in a fouler mood than usual. As usual, he had taken it out on her with a string of acerbic criticisms. Weiss hated the White Fang as much as anyone and her heart clenched for those lives lost. Her father, on the other hand, had been more upset at the effect the incident would have on their reputation and insurance premiums.

Thankfully, the broadcast was quick to move on.

_"In other news, residents in Atlas reported odd atmospheric phenomena overnight. Witnesses describe strange localized electrical storms that should have required large quantities of dust to sustain. Anyone with information about unlicensed dust stockpiles is urged to come forward."_

Weiss rolled her eyes at that. It was amazing that some faulty wiring could actually make the news. Still, she wasn't going to complain about the change in subject. Silliness and background noise was better than anything that came close to home.

_"Atlas police are investigating a break in at a downtown department store. Police are looking for a female suspect with an unlocked Aura, who helped herself to tens of thousands of lien in professional huntsmen equipment. The suspect was last seen fleeing the scene wearing a white cloak stolen from the store."_

The blessed mundanity of the broadcast was interrupted by a knock at the door. Weiss tensed. Being disturbed in her own chambers so early could portend nothing good. She hastily turned off her scroll and smoothed her skirt.

"Come in."

It was Klein who entered, an apologetic look on his face. "I'm afraid your father has called for you, snowflake. I tried to distract him but he's been in one of his moods all day."

Weiss shut her eyes and took a moment to gather herself. When she opened them again her face was a mask of perfect calm.

"I'd best not keep him waiting then."

The hallways of the manor were bustling with servants and caterers brought on for the gala. Schnee Manor wasn't usually so crowded – more staff meant more risk, and Jacques Schnee was known to value both his privacy and his personal safety. To compensate, an expanded security detail had been brought on for the occasion, including a number of men in sharp suits with earpieces and firearms. Weiss noted that every one of them seemed to recognize her and give her wide berth.

As Weiss entered her father's study, she noted the scowl on his face. Whitley stood beside him, practically clinging to him like a limpet. It was vaguely disgusting how eager her brother was to curry favor at times. It was worse when their father was angry, as if his displeasure only made Whitley hunger more for his approval.

"You called for me, father?"

"Fifteen minutes ago. Either you or that bumbling fool Klein saw fit to take your time." Jacques looked Weiss up and down. "Where have you been? Some of the guests have already arrived."

"I have been waiting in my chambers for the start of the gala," Weiss said neutrally, "as you earlier suggested I should."

"Don't be smart with me Weiss," Jacques snapped. "When important guests show up early, does it not occur to you to show a little bit of initiative, or at least common sense? I'll have you know that your absence has been remarked upon."

"I apologize father. I was not aware that any guests had arrived early."

"And yet Whitley here managed to stay alert enough to greet them like a good host." Whitley preened at that. "You are running from your responsibilities, few though they are, because you find them difficult. Hiding away in your chambers like your mother."

Despite her practiced calm, Weiss felt her face begin to burn. _Don't argue. Don't give him a reaction._

"I will make myself visible at once," she almost mumbled.

"See to it that you do." Jacques inclined his head. "I'm not sure that I can stand much more disappointment in one day."

Weiss ignored the gloating expression on Whitley's face and stiffly turned to leave. As much as she liked to think that she was used to it by now, her father's words still hurt. Her expression betrayed nothing but on the inside she wanted to scream or cry or both at once.

As she went through the motions of greeting guests out in the courtyard, making herself visible as it were, her thoughts turned to her dream of becoming a huntress. Winter had done it, chased her own ambitions, escaped. Winter didn't have to attend the stupid gala. Weiss rather thought she would prefer a school outside of Atlas, as far from her father's influence as possible. Beacon was the obvious choice. It would put an ocean between her and Schnee Manor, but Vale was an allied kingdom with enough ties to the SDC to make for a politically acceptable destination.

When her father was in a better mood Weiss was confident that she could sell the idea. He wouldn't just allow it of course, he'd put her through some punishing test for sure, but Weiss was willing to endure a lot if it meant winning a little freedom.

"Would you care for some petits fours, young miss?"

Weiss looked up, startled to find Klein offering her a tray of delectable little confections. There was a tug at the corner of her lips. The kindly butler had made it seem like part of the service to any observers, but Weiss knew that he had fetched the sweets for the sole purpose of cheering her up.

"Why, I think I just might."

She popped a chocolate into her mouth and savored the richness as it spread across her tongue. For a moment she allowed herself to forget about her father and her stresses.

Klein leaned forward and whispered. "Don't mind anything the old windbag says. There'll be no sweets for him until the dessert course."

Weiss allowed herself a small smile.

"Thank you Klein. Truly."

"Think nothing of it. I am merely—"

Gunshots rang out in the distance. Weiss' head snapped towards the sound as the handful of guests began to murmur. The servants and caterers carried on as though nothing had happened, while the security began to move and speak into their radios. The sound of gunfire continued. Weiss creased her brow in irritation. The White Fang? Here? If they thought to attack the gala then they had well and truly lost their minds. Schnee Manor was a veritable fortress, never mind the additional security brought on just for the event. It would require an army, the kind of army that one couldn't sneak into Atlas.

At least it would be over soon.

Weiss sighed. Even if there was no real danger, this was only going to make her day more miserable. Being punished for something the White Fang had done wasn't enough apparently; now she was being punished for something that her father had done. Her life was so frustrating.

Klein however still seemed focused on the disturbance.

"They're not stopping," he muttered.

He was right. If anything the gunfire had grown louder and had been joined by shouts. There was the rumble of an explosion. Then another. The guests were becoming agitated now and even some of the servants had stopped what they were doing. Right before their eyes some of the manor's robotic defenses emerged from the hedges and trundled off in the direction of the commotion. Weiss frowned. Something was wrong. Something felt off about this.

"Perhaps we should head back indoors," Klein suggested. "Whatever is going on, it'll be safe there."

Weiss wanted to argue that she wasn't helpless, that she had aura and training, and yet she found herself unsettled enough to obey. The guests seemed to have the same idea. As a group they jostled their way to the doors, passing a veritable stampede of men in suits who ran across the portico with weapons drawn.

They reentered the manor to find that Jacques had emerged from his study, red faced, storming into the foyer with Whitley in tow.

"Does someone want to tell me what's going on?" Jacques demanded.

A tall man in a suit, the chief of security, looked up from his scroll. "There's been a perimeter breach," he said calmly. "As far as we can tell it's a single assailant. All of the mansion's defenses have been engaged. We should have the situation under control soon."

The statement was punctuated by the muffled roar of a laser cannon.

Jacques scowled. "What am I paying you for if you can't even deal with a lone attacker?"

"As I said, we should have it under control soon. In the meantime, sir, you may want to retreat to one of the panic rooms. Your private bullhead is also being prepared as a precaution."

"I'm not going to be driven into hiding or chased out of my own home!" Jacques shouted. "By one rabid animal? Think of how that would look!"

"We've not yet confirmed that the hostile is White Fang."

Jacques continued to rant while Whitley looked lost and nervous. Weiss met his eyes briefly and then looked away. This wasn't the petty world of words and politics that they were familiar with, this felt realer somehow, it felt alien. If Weiss was honest with herself, she was feeling nervous too.

Focusing on the task at hand, the security chief turned away from Jacques and tapped his earpiece.

"Status report. All units check in."

They could hear distorted screaming and explosions over the comm.

"Status report!"

Nothing but static.

The security chief looked to a nearby technician who was frantically tapping an oversized scroll.

"Must be an equipment malfunction," the technician explained. "We've lost all signal from the mechanized defenses. Can't get a response from any of the robots."

The lights went out. Weiss started. Quite a few people screamed. There was still muted evening light from the windows, but it was dim, and everyone in the room was on edge. Jacques appealed loudly for calm, acting for all the world like he was in perfect control of the situation. That confidence provided enough reassurance to quiet things down. For a change Weiss found herself impressed by her father; there was no denying that he had qualities of a leader.

"Backup power should be up within a few minutes," the technician said helpfully. "The power station probably got hit by a stray shot or something. The manor has its own generators, don't worry."

The security chief put a hand on Jacques' back and began leading him firmly towards an opposite hallway. Whitley trailed along as if by reflex, while Weiss remained behind with Klein.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jacques snapped.

"My job. With respect sir, my contract says I'm to do whatever I believe is necessary to keep you safe. Right now that means seeing you to a panic room whether you like it or not."

Weiss felt her heart begin to beat faster as she stared after her father and brother. What was going on? Never in her life could she remember Schnee Manor being threatened in this way. Jacques knew what kind of target he was, he knew how many enemies he had, and he had invested more in home security than anyone else on Remnant. It should have been ridiculous overkill. What kind of adversary could have brought them to such desperate measures?

Klein nudged Weiss gently. "Young miss. I think we should also—"

There was a crash as the front doors were knocked from their hinges. Something large, something black like a shadow burst into the manor. All at once there was screaming and chaos all around them. Jacques froze where he stood and for the first time Weiss thought it looked like he had no idea what to do. Whitley trembled beside him. The security chief drew a pistol and fired a series of explosive dust rounds, illuminating his target with each shot but otherwise having no effect.

It had the vague shape of a woman, but the proportions were all wrong and there were writhing tentacle limbs sprouting from its back. It crouched on all fours like a beast as it surveyed the room. Its face was covered by a feminine mask, white with red markings, and its eyes glowed a hateful red. Like a Grimm making mockery of the human form.

Then those eyes fell upon Weiss. The Grimm, for what else could it be, went very still.

The security chief's pistol clicked empty and he moved to draw a melee weapon instead. With dispassionate ease, the Grimm impaled him upon one of its limbs, its barbed end puncturing the man's aura like a soap bubble. Almost as an afterthought more tentacles began lashing out, killing everyone within reach, smearing bodies across the floor and walls. Weiss watched in horror as a black tendril stabbed through Jacques' open mouth and out the back of his head. Another caught Whitley in his chest. Through it all, those soulless red eyes never left Weiss.

"Weiss, RUN!" Klein shouted.

The butler physically shoved Weiss out of her stupor and towards the nearest door. Her feet obeyed even as her mind was frozen, her vision swimming. Her father. Her brother. Nothing made any sense. This couldn't be happening. It had to be a nightmare. At any moment now she would wake—

Behind her there was a wet gurgle. Weiss glanced over her shoulder and a choked sob escaped her throat. Klein was dangling limply from the end of a long black limb.

Weiss didn't wait to see more. She broke into a full sprint, charging down the corridor, leaping over abandoned trolleys meant for the gala. The hallways were still filled with frightened and confused staff, and in her wake Weiss could hear them dying. They were running too now, but few of them had unlocked aura, and none of them could outpace her. Weiss ducked around every corner she could, took every shortcut to try to lose the Grimm, and yet still it kept coming.

It was here for her. It wanted her specifically.

The realization was as confusing as it was terrifying. Why would Weiss be its target? Because she was a Schnee? She had never asked to be a Schnee! She had never asked for any of this!

And now her world was screaming and death as she ran for her life and others got in her way. The Grimm was slaughtering everyone that crossed its path; caterers, servants, maids. People who had been kind to Weiss, people her family owed for their service, people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Was it her fault they were dying?

Weiss felt her heart pound in her chest as she cut through the family armory and snatched Myrtenaster from its resting place. If she kept running more innocents would die. Even if she managed to hide herself in a panic room who knows how many the Grimm would kill while trying to get to her or draw her out. If she tried to fight, she would die. She wasn't a huntress yet.

She wasn't a huntress. But she wanted to be.

A strange sort of calm settled over Weiss as her decision became clear. She had aura. She had a weapon. She had training. That was more than most of the remaining servants in the manor could say. Huntsmen protected the innocent and gave their lives to hold back the Grimm. Weiss knew now that she would never make it to Beacon, would never become a huntress.

But at least she could die like one.

"Get out of here, get everyone to evacuate the manor!" Weiss screamed at a group of servants ahead.

Banking hard through a set of double doors, Weiss emerged in the dining hall. The cavernous room had an upper walkway held up by a series of columns, the best battlefield she could pick under the circumstances. She made a diagonal cut through a nearby support column with Myrtenaster's blade, then spun around to fire a couple quick shots at adjacent columns. A moment later her pursuer burst into the room after her, just in time for a chunk of walkway to collapse on its head.

It might as well have been cardboard for all the good it did. The Grimm caught the masonry with its tentacles, cracked it in half, and hurled the pieces at Weiss one after the other. She dodged the first, but the second slammed into her like a wrecking ball. Weiss grunted in pain. Her aura had just barely held up against the impact, but the debris had her pinned against the wall.

Straining against the weight of the collapsed walkway, Weiss raised her head. The strange Grimm was approaching fast, wasting no time, its movements cold and mechanical. So much for her last stand. She hadn't lasted ten seconds. Weiss felt the tears finally break free and roll down her cheeks. She didn't want to die. She was too young. She wasn't ready.

There was the sound of breaking glass. A window nearby shattered inwards as something entered the manor. The Grimm lunged forward with all of its many limbs outstretched, aiming for the kill. In that moment Weiss thought she saw a flash of silver, and then the Grimm shrieked as it was _kicked_ across the room with bits of its mask crumbling off.

Weiss stared. A woman in a white cloak towered over her, bristling with weapons and equipment, her face cast in shadow as she bent down to free Weiss from the debris. Weiss felt her breathing resume with a gasp as she was pulled to her feet. Her savior was a huntress, obviously, but not one that she recognized, certainly nobody in her father's employ.

"Stay behind me," the huntress said firmly.

Reaching into her cloak, the huntress retrieved a grenade and pulled the pin. She tossed it at the Grimm and then swept Weiss off her feet, carrying her up onto the upper level walkway. The Grimm sent a tentacle after them, but the woman deposited Weiss on the ground and smoothly deflected the limb with a large two-handed blade. Her posture was relaxed, confident, as if she had done this a dozen times before. A moment later the grenade went off in an explosion that shook the whole room. Taking advantage of the opening, the huntress leaped from the walkway and into a graceful somersault, spinning in the air, bringing the heavy blade crashing down with tremendous force. There was another flash of silver and an inhuman scream of pain.

The Grimm reeled, several of its tentacles severed and evaporating on the ground. The sword had been left buried deep in its body. The huntress leaped back onto the walkway, standing before Weiss, looking down at the heiress with an expression unreadable beneath that white hood.

"That won't keep it down for long. You need to come with me, now."

It wasn't a request. Weiss swallowed a lump in her throat. Realizing that she still held Myrtenaster with trembling fingers, she lowered her weapon in tacit surrender. She wasn't arrogant enough to think that she'd stand a chance against this woman. At least she didn't seem to want Weiss dead.

"W-Who are you?"

The huntress paused, as if she had never considered that question before in her life.

"Rose," she said at last. "Just call me Rose."

Weiss' eyes widened. She opened her mouth to shout a warning, but the huntress who'd called herself Rose was already moving. The woman spun to face the resurgent Grimm without any weapon in hand. It had leaped up onto the walkway after them, sword still protruding from its chest, limbs poised to strike.

On a night full of surprises, what happened next still managed to shock Weiss – silver light _exploded_ from beneath that white hood. The monster screeched in what could only be described as mortal agony. Its remaining limbs turned to stone, the petrification creeping over it until it had engulfed half of its body, leaving the unfrozen half thrashing about like a dying animal.

The light faded. The huntress turned again, almost stumbling, clearly exhausted, but catching herself in time. In that motion Weiss thought she recognized the bearing of someone for whom leadership was as familiar as breathing.

Weiss swallowed the lump in her throat.

"That took a lot out of me," Rose mumbled as she approached. "Was hoping I wouldn't have to do that so soon. C'mon, we have to go!"

What was the point of resisting? This woman could apparently turn her into stone with a _look_. Wiess was so full of unnamable emotions that she was shaking, barely able to stay on her feet. Darkness encroached on the edges of her vision. Sensing her distress, her savior, kidnapper, or whatever Rose was, stepped forward to sweep a passive Weiss up into a bridal carry.

Then they were gone, leaving Atlas' largest private residence in ruins behind them.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I hope you're enjoying reading this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it. It's been a very welcome distraction during this stressful season. Reviews and feedback absolutely help keep me going, and I hope interest picks up as the premise of the story becomes clearer. I did debate whether I should give more away in the story summary, but I felt that the integrity of the narrative relies on the reader sharing some of Weiss' confusion, and so I ended up leaving it as it presently is.

**Beta:** N/A

* * *

The massive airship cut an impressive figure as it shot through the night sky at full speed. As the flagship of the Atlesian military, the vessel was meant to serve as a symbol of the strength and ingenuity of Atlas. Under ordinary circumstances it would've been stationed firmly in Mantle airspace, playing a vital role in the security of the entire kingdom.

These were not ordinary circumstances.

On the bridge General James Ironwood took a generous gulp form his fourth cup of coffee for the day. It was searing hot as it ran down his throat, but he barely registered the pain. Before him, the turquoise light of the holographic display cast his grim features into stark relief. It showed a single tiny aircraft superimposed upon a map of Remnant, flying over the ocean.

"What am I looking at lieutenant?"

"We've finally got the stolen bullhead on radar," the officer explained. "It's Jacques Schnee's personal bug out vehicle, always kept fueled and supplied for a long flight in case of emergency. Don't think anyone ever imagined that it would be used to abduct his own daughter."

"What took us so long to get a fix?"

"It's had its transponder disabled. Whoever the woman is, she apparently knows her way around hardware."

Ironwood put his mug down. "Time until we can intercept?"

"They've got enough of a head start that we won't be able to catch them over the waters. They'll reach Sanus at least three hours ahead of us."

Ironwood cursed. As much as he wanted to wonder why the fugitive would choose such a destination, it simply wasn't important compared to everything else that was going on. Atlas was in uproar at the news that their foremost industrialist had been murdered in his own home, along with his young son, with his heir kidnapped by persons unknown. It was a disaster unprecedented since the Great War.

The men and women under Ironwood's command felt the strain more acutely than most. Many had seen clips or still images from the security footage from Schnee Manor, they'd seen the carnage and the bloodshed. It had been enough to make even Ironwood queasy. The final death toll was yet to be determined; rescue workers were still finding more bodies every hour. It was a black eye for the military that such a thing could have happened on Atlas soil. Everyone from ordinary citizens to members of the council of Atlas were questioning how safe they really were.

Ironwood shook his head. Focus. Work the problem. One step at a time.

"I've already spoken with the Vale council," he said. "We have permission to pursue the bullhead into their airspace. If they land on Sanus we can deploy ground forces, within reason."

"Specialists?"

"Indeed," Ironwood took another sip of coffee. "Anything new on that blasted Grimm from the attack?"

"The petrified portions it left behind have been taken in for study. Still no sign of the rest of it despite an extensive citywide search. We've got all available military and police resources on the hunt. If it's still in Atlas, it seems to have hidden itself pretty well."

Ironwood grunted in displeasure. The Grimm was unlike any they'd encountered before, and knowing that it was still at large was frankly alarming. Ancient, intelligent Grimm were not unheard of. A Grimm capable of infiltrating a city, picking out specific targets, and retreating back into hiding was something else. His analysts didn't want to believe it was that smart. Their working theory was that it had been introduced onto the premises by the woman in order to shred the manor's defenses, and she had then turned on it once it had served its purpose. An elaborate plot to abduct Weiss Schnee.

While Ironwood didn't need convincing that the kidnapper was up to no good, he wasn't buying the rest of it. The theory had too many holes, and that was even before he took into account the things that his analysts didn't know. Like Salem.

"Headmaster Ozpin at Beacon is an old friend of mine," Ironwood muttered. "Nobody knows the Grimm better. He might have some ideas. I'll have to update him soon."

The doors to the bridge slid open. Ironwood drew a sharp breath as he recognized the clack of heeled boots against the metal flooring. Turning his chair around, he found himself facing perhaps the only person on Remnant under more stress than he.

Winter Schnee.

"Sir. I heard that we've got a fix on the bullhead."

Ironwood's first thought, coming from a place of concern and not cruelty, was that she looked terrible. Oh, she was putting on a valiant and professional front. Her expression was blank, her posture stoic. It wasn't fooling anyone. Her hair was frazzled and her eyes were puffy and red. For a woman whose appearance was usually so immaculate, it was a damning display.

"We have," Ironwood said cautiously. "They're headed for Sanus, like we thought."

"I would like to request that I be part of the team that gets sent to retrieve the hostage."

"Denied."

Winter's nostrils flared. Ironwood couldn't remember her ever looking so furious with him before. He met her gaze unflinchingly, knowing that he was in the right.

"You're too close to this, Winter," he said. "I've allowed you to remain on duty because I know that keeping you away will do you no favors, but you're not in any state to participate in the mission."

"General. This is my sister."

"And I will be dispatching the Ace-Ops to rescue her. She'll be in good hands."

"I should be there for her. I should've been there for her."

Ironwood sighed. "Winter, I won't pretend to know what you're feeling right now. But the best thing you can do for Weiss is let a different team handle this with a clear head. You're emotional, and that will lead to mistakes in the field. You know it as well as I do."

Winter said nothing, balling her fists but unable to refute his words.

"You are not the only one who needs Weiss returned safely," Ironwood continued. "The council has had its lawyers poring over Jacques' will, trying to work out all the consequences. It's airtight. By the laws of Atlas, Weiss Schnee is now the head of the Schnee Dust Corporation. Why do you think I'm on this ship chasing after her while the Grimm that carried out the attack is still out there?"

"I know you're doing all you can—"

"This is bigger than me Winter. It's bigger than you too. Like it or not, the SDC is a pillar of the world economy. Imagine what the stock markets are going to look like tomorrow. Imagine how much worse it'll get for every day that Weiss remains missing. Atlas and Remnant need her back and everyone on this ship has a duty to get her back. Trust in that."

Winter still looked mutinous, an expression that looked most strange on her. Even so, she managed a stiff salute and turned to leave. Ironwood set his jaw as he watched her go. As difficult as this crisis was for him, it was sobering to think of what it was doing to those with more personal stakes. He spared a thought for Weiss Schnee herself. What was the poor girl enduring even now? She'd seen her father and brother killed in front of her, only to be abducted and spirited out of Mantle.

Ironwood drained what was left of his coffee. He couldn't bear to think about the cruelties the kidnapper might be inflicting on Weiss. Despite what he had told Winter, that mattered to him a lot more than politics or economics. Atlas _would_ recover Weiss Schnee, and Ironwood would personally ensure that the woman regretted ever taking her.

* * *

Weiss woke up in disoriented confusion. She had no idea where she was, and she couldn't remember why there were dull aches all over her body. The floor seemed to be vibrating and there was a faint droning noise in the background. For a moment she lay there in blissful puzzlement. Then her memories kicked in and she sat up in an instant, her heart pounding.

She had been tucked into a bedroll laid out on the floor of a bullhead. The huntress in the white cloak, Rose, was there; she had her back turned as she crouched over a collection of tools and metal parts. Weiss could see an open duffle bag and partially disassembled weapons and munitions strewn across the floor. There was a gentle click of metal on metal as the woman worked to build something. She was so focused on her tinkering that she had apparently missed Weiss regaining consciousness.

Instinctively Weiss scooted backwards into a corner, as if doing so might somehow keep her safe from whatever this person had planned for her. Rose clearly hadn't delivered her to the authorities. A glance out the window told her that she was over the ocean and therefore far from Atlas. With a sinking feeling of dread, Weiss realized that her ordeal wasn't over yet. What was she now, a hostage? A prisoner? Before she could stop herself a low whimper escaped her lips.

It was enough to alert her captor. Rose's head snapped around, still covered by the white cloak.

"Oh gosh! You're awake!"

The next thing Weiss knew, she was being squeezed into a tight embrace. Rose pressed her cheek against the top of Weiss' head, rocking her gently.

"I'm sorry. I'm so so so sorry. I heard about your father and brother on the radio. It's my fault. I didn't get there in time. It wasn't supposed to go like this."

Weiss could barely process what was happening. To her shame, she was desperate enough for contact, desperate enough for reassurance, that she actually leaned into the hug. It was warm. It felt genuine. In no time at all Weiss found herself crying into her captor's shoulder, bawling her eyes out, mucus leaking from her nose. It was as undignified as it was cathartic. Rose didn't remark on it, instead stroking her back in an almost motherly fashion. As Weiss' sobs finally began to subside, the huntress sniffled and brought a hand beneath her hood to wipe at an unseen tear of her own.

"Hey. You need to drink something. Here."

Rose reached into her cloak and handed Weiss a bottle of an electrolyte drink. Weiss hiccupped and accepted it, her body prickling from dehydration.

"Are you hungry? Did you at least get some decent rest while you were out? Is there anything else I can get you?"

Weiss shut her eyes tight and spoke from the heart.

"I want to go home."

Rose slumped and hung her head at that.

"I'm sorry Weiss. That's the one thing I can't do. You wouldn't be safe."

"Why?"

Rose sighed. "That thing from the manor? It's not dead. By now it'll have fully regenerated itself. Even if it's moved on to its next target, it'll be back for you sooner or later."

"Then take me to the Atlas military."

Rose shook her head. "You wouldn't be safe with them either. You can hide behind a hundred Paladins and it'll tear every one of those tin cans to pieces. They _can't_ kill it. Knowing them, they'd probably try to capture it and poke it with sticks. It'll adapt, they'll die, and then you'll die. Only way you survive is if you keep moving and stay with me. I can slow it down at least."

Weiss recalled the Grimm being turned into stone. "The silver light. Your Semblance?"

"Something like that." Rose got to her feet and began rummaging around in the back. "Look, even if you aren't hungry you should still eat. You need to keep your strength up. This bullhead came stocked with military rations; I'll get one ready for you. They taste better than you'd think! Some of them anyway. As long as it's not the veggie omelet. Those are only fit for Grimm."

Weiss watched as Rose tore open a plastic package containing various bags and pouches. She sealed a couple pouches inside a bag along with a dust-based heating element. After a few minutes of that, the pouches were retrieved and squeezed out onto a tray. Beef stew with rice. Weiss' stomach grumbled; her body understood the need for food even if her appetite didn't.

As Weiss dug into her meal with a plastic fork, she noticed that Rose had returned to her tinkering.

"What are you making?"

"Some proper weapons." Rose replied. "I couldn't bring any with me when I came to Atlas. Had to rob a department store to get even this much, but this generic stuff isn't going to cut it. With what we're up against, we'll need every edge that we can get."

Weiss swallowed a mouthful of stew. "The thing from before. What is it?"

"It's a Grimm. The ultimate Grimm. Something a spiteful old hag made in her own image, poured all of her power and hate into it."

"Made?"

Rose shook her head. "That's a story for another time. You shouldn't have to worry about stuff like that right now."

Weiss continued eating in awkward silence. She wanted to argue about going home, danger be damned, but Rose was clearly avoiding the subject and didn't seem likely to yield. The older woman had been kind so far, inexplicably, confusingly so. Weiss didn't want to push her luck. Instead, she worked up the courage to voice another question that had been haunting her.

"Rose?"

"Mm?"

"Why is it after me?"

Rose took a deep breath and sat back on her haunches, resting her elbows on her knees. Weiss didn't miss how her shoulders had tensed up.

"I think that has to be another story for another time," she said sadly. "It's not that I like keeping secrets from you, I swear. I just really think you're not ready to hear it right now. You've been through a lot already. I'm really sorry."

Her meal finished, Weiss pushed the tray away and wrapped her arms around her knees. She didn't feel disappointed. Just numb. Rose watched her helplessly for a few long seconds before suddenly perking up.

"Oh, I know what'll help! Hold on, give me a moment."

The huntress dove into one of her duffle bags and produced a scroll, which she tossed unceremoniously at Weiss.

"Here! Call your sister."

Weiss stared. "You want me to deliver a message? What do you want me to say?"

"Whatever you want, silly. Don't mind me, I'll be tinkering away over here."

True to her word, Rose resumed her work with the disassembled weapons, humming softly to herself. Weiss looked down at the scroll in her hands in disbelief. Once again the huntress was making absolutely no sense at all, and once again Weiss chose not to look the gift horse in the mouth. With trembling fingers she entered Winter's number. It rang once. Twice. Three times. For a moment Weiss feared that it would just keep on ringing, that Winter wouldn't pick up.

An image appeared on screen. Weiss nearly lost her composure as she beheld her sister's face. For her part, Winter looked thunderstruck.

"Weiss? Is that really you? Are you alright?"

"I-I am unharmed."

"Where are you? How are you calling me? How long can you talk?"

"I'm on a bullhead. The woman I'm with, her name is Rose, she gave me a scroll. I don't know how long I have." Weiss glanced at Rose, who shrugged and kept working. "Long enough, I suppose."

"Her name is Rose? How has she been treating you?"

"She's been kind," Weiss said honestly. "She saved my life. But she says I have to stay with her. She says it isn't safe anywhere else, that the Grimm is still out there and still hunting me."

Winter's expression darkened. "I would like to speak with her if possible."

Weiss looked hopefully at Rose. Rose turned and crossed her forearms over her face, a clear sign of rejection.

"It seems she is not amenable to such a conversation."

"So be it." Winter took a deep breath. "Weiss. I cannot adequately express how sorry I am. I would beg your forgiveness, but I know I don't deserve it."

Weiss creased her brow. "What are you talking about?"

"I've been selfish. I left you and Whitley behind. I abandoned you both, and all I could think about was my own happiness. Now he's dead and you're taken. It must seem like I care more for my career than I do for the lives of my own family. I am the worst of sisters."

Weiss gaped in astonishment. "No Winter, don't think that! This was in no way your fault! There wasn't anything you could have done. If you had been there you'd have died too. I'm grateful that you weren't. I'm grateful that you're still with me. Please, don't blame yourself."

There was a pause as Winter's eyes watered and her face twisted with grief. Weiss had never seen her sister cry before. Even when they were younger, no matter how nasty their father got, no matter what injuries she sustained in training, Winter never cried. Not in front of her.

"We're all that's left, Weiss," Winter whispered. "All we have now is each other."

Their mother might still be breathing, but they both knew that the woman who'd raised them was long gone, hollowed out and replaced by disease of alcoholism. Neither of them would mention her now. Talking about it would bring them no comfort.

Weiss reached out and pressed her hand against the screen, as if she could reach through it and touch her sister. She could see Winter reaching out to do the same.

"I love you Weiss. It's been a long time since I've said it. Whatever happens, I want you to know that it's always been true."

Weiss felt her own tears welling up again. "I love you too sister."

"I'm coming for you. I swear it. I won't abandon you again." Winter's face hardened with resolve. "And Rose, since I know you're listening, I am grateful that you saved my sister's life. But if you try to keep her from me, know that I will hold nothing back. I will kill you if I must."

The call ended. There was the telltale sound of a weapon's mechashift, and then Weiss felt a pair of arms wrap gently around her. Rose seemed completely unconcerned by Winter's threat, her embrace conveying only sympathy. Weiss looked up to find that the huntress had apparently finished building her weapon, or one of them at least.

A sleek and impressive looking sniper rifle was now strapped to her back.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I've updated the summary of the story to give readers a better idea of what to expect. I think keeping things too ambiguous might have actually turned some people off. Although I might be biased, I personally like the premise a lot, and I'm hoping that others feel the same way.

**Beta:** N/A

* * *

"And Weiss did not seem to be under duress?"

Winter shook her head. "No sir, I don't believe she was. I'm confident I would be able to pick up on it if she had been."

Ironwood rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Then at least we know she has not been badly mistreated," he said. "Good work Winter. I'll pass your report along to the analysts immediately. If nothing else, it will help with the interrogation if this Rose woman is taken alive."

Winter nodded. "The team will be deploying soon then?"

"We'll reach the bullhead's last known coordinates within thirty minutes."

Ironwood dismissed her with a salute. Winter returned it, taking care to look pleased and hopeful, or as pleased and hopeful as she ever did. He turned back to his console, suspecting nothing. Winter thought she would feel guilty about planning to betray his trust, but it was surprisingly easy. She had made her choice and had no doubts about it. As she left the bridge, she avoided the route back to her quarters, instead turning down a very different corridor to call an elevator.

The lower decks were reserved for Special Operations, and as a Specialist herself Winter had all the credentials to get past the security checks. She walked with confidence and purpose, and nobody thought to challenge her about why she was there. That was a lapse in protocol. On any other day she would've chewed them out for it.

Winter soon reached a sealed blue door. Again, her pass provided entrance. Inside was a modest space with five naval bunks and lockers, along with four faces known to every Specialist; Clover Ebi, Vine Zeki, Elm Ederne, and Harriet Bree. The Ace-Ops. Atlas' most elite military unit. Once upon a time Winter might've been one of them, had she not preferred working directly with Ironwood.

Clover looked up at her in surprise. "Winter. What brings you here? Has there been a change in the mission?"

"Not as such. I've merely come to discuss logistics."

The other Ace-Ops sat up attentively. They all knew her personal stakes in this, and she could see sympathy in their eyes. Still, they were professional enough not to mention it.

"Unlike conventional huntsmen teams, the Ace-Ops are trained to deploy as a group of five." Winter gestured at the empty bunk. "Having a fifth member is meant to ensure overwhelming force for quick and decisive operations."

Harriet nodded. "Yeah, we'll be getting another member eventually. One of the newer Specialists. They haven't decided who yet."

"Give me a break, we all know who it's going to end up being," Elm scoffed. "The council has been pushing for a faunus member for ages. Gotta keep up appearances."

Vine laced his fingers together. "He's perfectly capable."

"I never said he wasn't!"

Winter cleared her throat. "Given that you are technically shorthanded, it would be convenient if you happened to discover that another Specialist had stowed away on your dropship."

They all stared at her as if she had grown a second head.

"You're talking about disobeying orders," Clover said slowly. "Going behind Ironwood's back."

"From you I ask only a little inattention. I'm prepared to face the court martial. I'll tell them I deceived you quite thoroughly."

Clover frowned. "You realize you might be drummed out of the military for this."

Winter knew that. It was no small thing. She had dedicated her life to her career, given up her inheritance and her birthright for it. But right now her little sister needed her, and there was no one else who could shoulder that responsibility. There would always be other soldiers.

"Imagine it was your family, all that was left of your family," Winter said. "What would you do?"

The Ace-Ops went quiet at that. Winter waited as they exchanged glances. Finally Clover sighed and offered her the scroll he had been holding.

"You'll want to read this before we deploy. It's our full mission briefing."

Winter accepted it with a grateful nod. "Thank you, team leader."

* * *

Ozpin gazed forlornly out the window of his office. The term was winding down, and the students were preparing for their final examinations. He had been looking forward to the coming break, to a respite from his responsibilities. Then the word had come in from Atlas of the attack on Schnee Manor. It seemed that Salem was on the move again. Another round in the immortal game they played, with lives instead of pieces on a board.

A beeping at his desk signaled the call he had been waiting for. Returning to his chair, Ozpin sat down and pressed a button. A moment later Ironwood's face appeared on the display before him.

"James," Ozpin greeted. "What can I do to help?"

They'd exchanged only a few words the night before, with Ozpin offering any assistance that he or Beacon could render. He'd been surprised to learn that the kidnapper holding Weiss Schnee had fled in the direction of Vale. Ozpin had offered to dispatch his own huntsmen, but Atlas unsurprisingly wanted to handle the matter themselves.

"We're having trouble figuring out the Grimm," Ironwood confessed. "Its whereabouts are still unknown, and it's deadlier than anything we've seen before. What bothers me the most is that it doesn't behave like you'd expect Grimm to behave. This is something new, something unpredictable. I was hoping that you would be able to shed some light on the matter."

Ozpin frowned. "From what I know, it sounds like something Salem created to fulfill a specific purpose, something she's controlling directly or else gave a singular mission to."

"Has she ever pulled something like this before?"

"Not on this scale, no. It seems rather crude for her. Almost desperate, if I didn't know any better."

"What's her angle here then?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. There are any number of reasons why she might want to target the Schnee family. Destabilizing Atlas. Disrupting the global supply of dust. Without more information I can't even speculate with any great confidence."

"I'm transmitting the complete footage from Schnee Manor now. Tell me what you make of it."

Ozpin folded his hands under his chin and watched the recording with interest. The Grimm had an unfamiliar form, skewing close to human, and recognizably female. It was disturbingly powerful. Ozpin's glasses glinted in the reflected light of the projection as it showed the Grimm tearing a laser turret into pieces. He hadn't thought Salem capable of creating a pawn like this. What would it have cost her to do so? Where magic was concerned, nothing came without a price. The price here must have been terrible.

Multiple cameras had captured the moment that the Schnee patriarch was killed. Ozpin shook his head sadly at the gruesome display. He had no love for Jacques, but it was a reminder of how thin the line was between life and death; for everyone except Ozpin at least. He did notice however that the Grimm didn't seem as interested in the elder Schnee as it was in his heir, Weiss. The rest of the footage showed the Grimm pursuing the terrified girl through the halls of the manor. Ozpin was impressed by her selfless decision to confront the monster, hopeless though it was.

Then the footage became extremely interesting.

Ozpin leaned forward in his chair as a huntress in a white cloak entered the scene and repelled the Grimm. There were brief flashes of light as her blows somehow proved more effective than an army of guards and the latest in Atlesian technology. At the end it looked like the Grimm had gotten the drop on her, but then light poured out from beneath her hood and turned the Grimm into stone. Silver light.

"Wait. Rewind that."

Ironwood was bemused but complied. Ozpin watched again, his heart beating faster in his chest. There was no mistaking the unique gift of the Silver-Eyed Warriors, a power with no current known wielders, only potential locked away in a teenaged girl. He took fresh note of the woman's appearance.

"The huntress. What do you know about her?"

"Not much." Ironwood frowned. "After the attack she took Weiss and boarded Jacques' personal bullhead, disabling the transponder and giving us the slip. She allowed Weiss to make contact with her sister not long ago. Had her feed us some story about Weiss not being safe from the Grimm with anyone else."

"A name. Did she give you a name?"

"Rose."

Ozpin slammed back in his chair. It felt like he'd been punched in the chest. Ironwood's gaze sharpened instantly.

"Ozpin, do you know this woman?"

"I'm not sure what I know right now," Ozpin said hoarsely. "Do you have anything else on her? Anything at all?"

"We've been able to link her to a department store robbery earlier that same day. She hit the place before it opened. Stole a whole bunch of huntsmen weapons and equipment. Here's the security footage; I'm afraid the quality is a lot worse than the mansion."

The recording was indeed grainy this time, many of the details lost. It showed a woman with shorter hair than Summer Rose liked to wear, but quite possibly the right color. More immediately noticeable than that however—

"Why is she naked?"

"I do not know," Ironwood said dryly. "She dressed herself in the store before hitting the weapons department. Grabbed the cloak on her way out."

The woman channeled aura into her fist and shattered the store's display window. She immediately began plundering the aisles of clothes, flinging rejected items over her shoulder. Ozpin did his best to ignore her nudity. Was it Summer? He couldn't rule it out. Not even Ozpin knew what had happened to her on her final mission. Then again, it was hard to tell from the footage, but this woman looked young, younger than Summer ought to be if she had somehow survived.

Immediately Ozpin's mind turned to other possibilities. As far as he was aware, as far as Summer had ever mentioned, she was the very last of her line, at least until young Ruby had been born. But what if she hadn't been? What if Summer had been mistaken, or had some reason to keep such a secret even from Ozpin?

What if she'd had a sister?

The idea hard to accept, but the evidence was staring him in the face. There was no mistaking the power of the silver eyes, and then there was the name. Whoever the woman was, she appeared to be every bit the huntress Summer had been. A long lost younger sister, one who had somehow escaped his notice for all this time. It made no sense and yet it made too much sense.

"Where is she now?" Ozpin demanded.

"We know where she landed the bullhead and we'll be on them any minute now. I'll be dispatching my best."

"You must take her in alive if at all possible. This may be important, James."

Ironwood glared. "Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

"I have no answers yet, only questions." Ozpin shook his head. "Questions that I would very much like to ask that young lady myself."

Ironwood's lips thinned into a flat line.

"We'll try. I make no promises."

Ozpin sighed. "That'll have to be good enough. Thank you."

The transmission ended. Ozpin leaned his chair back as far as it would go and steepled his fingers. Should he consult Taiyang and Qrow, go sifting again for any clues about Summer's death or her extended family? It might be cruel to give them false hope while so much was still unknown. There was always the possibility that this was all some cruel gambit thought up by Salem.

For the first time in a long time he had no idea what his next move should be.

* * *

Weiss breathed deep of the earthy, damp forest air, marveling at the novelty of it in spite of herself. Forever Fall was beautiful, totally unlike anything she had ever seen back in Atlas. She had visited outlying SDC facilities in forested areas before, but that had always been from a bullhead or other vehicle, or else safe behind walls. This was her first time in an actual wilderness, let alone one with foliage that stayed red through the spring and summer.

They had ditched the bullhead a few miles back. Ahead of her, Rose set a brisk pace while shouldering two duffle bags full of equipment and supplies. Her newly constructed sniper rifle was still strapped to her back, mostly covered by her cloak. Rose hadn't asked Weiss to carry anything, taking all of the burden on herself.

Weiss wasn't sure what she was supposed to do in this situation. Winter was coming for her. Should she try to escape into the woods? Would that help Winter find her any faster? Should she try to attack Rose in the hopes of slowing her down or giving Winter an edge? Somehow that idea felt wrong to Weiss. Rose had saved her life, had treated her with kindness. Weiss could still feel the phantom warmth of her embrace. To her shock, she found that she actually felt guilty about thinking of hurting Rose. It didn't seem fair that a kidnapper should be so nice.

Although she was carrying nothing and Rose was carrying everything, Weiss found that her stamina wore down quickly as they darted through the woods. She wasn't even trying to sabotage their progress and yet she found herself slowing them down. Rose seemed to catch on as Weiss began to breath heavily. As always, the huntress offered no recriminations, only understanding.

"Let's break for lunch," Rose suggested.

Weiss gratefully accepted the chance to rest, as well as the bottle of water that Rose tossed her. It turned out that lunch would be Atlesian military rations again, this time chicken with pasta. Rose prepared a pouch for each of them. While the meals were heating up, Rose seemed to stare off into the woods. Weiss looked but didn't see anything.

Rose got to her feet. "I'm going for a walk. Stay here, I'll be back soon."

Then the huntress was gone. Weiss was flabbergasted. Was she really being left unattended? Was it some kind of test? Her mind racing, Weiss considered her options. She could make a run for it, but would that be any better than staying? There were Grimm in these woods, and Weiss didn't know where Myrtenaster was. She also didn't know the first thing about navigating Forever Fall. Although technically her kidnapper, Rose was keeping her safe in the short term and treating her well. Weiss couldn't say that she felt unsafe with her.

Another minute of indecision saw the choice taken out of Weiss' hands. Rose returned as suddenly as she had left, dusting her hands off in a satisfied manner.

"Did you enjoy your walk?" Weiss asked, nonplussed.

"Sure did," Rose replied. "Ah, looks like food is ready."

Weiss ate mechanically. The rations weren't good enough that she'd call them delicious, but they were edible and packed with calories. Seemingly unsatisfied with the main courses, Rose dug through the packages until, with a triumphant cry, she produced a pair of flat, vacuum sealed items. She promptly pressed them on Weiss.

"Take these! They'll make you feel better!"

Chocolate chip cookies. Weiss blinked, mystified. She opened the little packages, each one giving off a little hiss of air as the seal broke. As she bit into the first cookie, she decided that she should at least try to get some more answers out of her captor.

"Rose," Weiss said. "Why didn't you want to talk with my sister?"

The huntress shrugged. "You already told her what she needs to know for now. There's no point in me talking to her until you and I have had a chance to discuss how things are going to go from here."

"What do you mean?" Weiss frowned. "How are things going to go from here?"

"You're not going to be able to go home anytime soon Weiss," Rose said seriously. "I'm sorry but there isn't any other way. The Grimm has other targets, and I need to save them the same way I saved you. The only way this works is if we all stick together."

"Can't you just tell Atlas that? If what you told me about the Grimm is true—"

"They're not going to believe me without proof. Atlas likes to feel like it's in control. There isn't anything I can tell them that will convince them to let me just drag you across Remnant." Rose chuckled. "Even if I tried to tell them everything I know, it'd only spook them and then they'd want me in an interrogation room twice as bad."

"Don't you have any proof at all?"

Rose shook her head. "Had nothing when I came to Atlas."

Weiss made a frustrated sound in her throat. She wasn't sure how much of Rose's explanation she believed, but either way it felt like everything was being decided for her all over again.

"How long is this supposed to last then?" she demanded. "Will I be on the run for the rest of my life?"

"No. We get everyone safe first, then we can start planning a way to kill it."

"And what about my responsibilities? My sister?" Weiss sat back in shock as she came to a realization. "Gods, I think I might be the head of the SDC now."

"You are. I think you should ask Winter to run it in your name," Rose said quietly. "Appoint her your acting director or whatever. It's still your company, and you're going to do super incredible things as its head. Later. But right now? Yeah, it's going to be hard to run a company while we're on the road."

Weiss digested that. "This is what you want to talk to Winter about."

"If we can manage it, I think the three of us should have that conversation together. In person."

"You heard what she said. She's not coming to talk."

"I don't have to give her a choice." Rose glanced at Weiss and huffed at the alarm on her face. "Oh, come on. Don't worry, I'm not out to seriously hurt anyone."

"Promise me. I want your word."

Rose placed a hand on her heart. "I solemnly swear that I will not kill or maim your sister."

Weiss was silent for a long moment.

"You heard what she said. She'll be fighting to kill."

Rose shrugged. "I'll just have to deal with that then."

Weiss wasn't sure if that was overwhelming confidence or just overwhelming optimism. Either way, Weiss didn't sense any deceit. For reasons she couldn't explain, she found that she trusted Rose. After what she had seen at the manor, Weiss could believe that the Grimm was every bit as dangerous as Rose said it was. Atlas was no refuge. All the defenses money could buy hadn't protected her there.

Weiss heaved a sigh. "Very well then. Where are you taking me next?"

"A White Fang camp on the outskirts of Vale," Rose said casually. "It's their regional headquarters. There's someone there I want you to meet."

Weiss heard the words, but her brain failed to process them. Her body froze, her eyes wide. Oblivious to her panic, Rose pulled out a couple White Fang masks from her cloak.

"Here, I got these off some scouts while I was having my walk. See if they fit! We must be getting close."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** As much as I wanted to preserve the mystery of the premise, it looks like changing the story summary was the right call—there was a huge spike in hits and all the other metrics after the latest update. I love time travel, people love time travel, they want to know that the story is about time travel. And that's fair enough I think. Give readers what they want.

This is the longest chapter so far and one that I'm particularly pleased with. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

**Beta:** N/A

* * *

Blake paced restlessly around the tent she shared with Adam.

The young faunus was a jumble of emotions inside. She had no idea what she was supposed to be feeling, and so it almost felt like she was feeling everything all at once. There was excitement, sure, because the world was changing and wasn't that what they had been fighting for all along? There was fear as well, because people were dying, and Blake couldn't help but feel like things were getting out of control. Then there was the confusion. What should Blake do? What should the White Fang do?

The news had reached them that morning. Like the rest of the world, the Vale branch of the White Fang was still trying to process the attack on the Schnees and come to terms with a world where the hated SDC was leaderless. Adam had been energized, thrilled. Many of their comrades wanted to press the attack, to escalate, to take the opportunity to do some real damage.

It had surprised Blake, to see that bloodthirstiness in her own colleagues. She'd be lying if she said it hadn't made her uncomfortable. Perhaps it shouldn't have come as such a surprise. The White Fang had increasingly come to celebrate violence lately, not just as a reluctant means to an end, but as an achievement in itself. Adam had assured her that he had everything under control, that he could reign in the radicals. Everything they did was still for the greater good.

Blake wanted to trust him. Blake did trust him. And yet, she was worried.

"Blake." Adam ducked into the tent. "What's wrong?"

He was always so good at reading her. Blake sighed and turned to meet his eyes.

"I don't know about this Adam. It doesn't feel right. It feels like we're becoming something frightening, and I don't just mean to our enemies. How far is too far?"

Adam gently brought his hand to her face, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. "This is exactly why we're calling a full meeting, Blake. An open discussion. Everyone will be able to have their say, and all concerns will be aired."

Without thinking, Blake sighed and leaned into his touch.

"Is it really alright for me to say whatever I want at the meeting?"

"Of course. You know how much I value your opinion. Just, promise me that you'll listen as well. Whatever is decided by the group, it's important that we support it. All of us."

Blake nodded and then pulled him in for an embrace.

"I love you," she said automatically.

His voice had more heat to it. "I love you too."

Together they slipped their masks on and stepped out of the tent. The White Fang camp was already astir with activity, the low chatter of a hundred conversations buzzing in the evening air. The noise began to subside as Blake and Adam joined a select few others on a makeshift wooden stage at the center of the camp. Adam's very presence commanded attention, and all eyes turned to them.

"Brothers and sisters of the White Fang," Adam orated. "By now you've all heard the news. It is true. Jacques Schnee is dead. The SDC is leaderless. Atlas is in disarray, their weakness and incompetence exposed to the world!"

A thunderous cheer went up from the crowd. Blake cheered as well. There wasn't a faunus on Remnant who would mourn Jacques Schnee.

"I know there has been much speculation about the attack. I have been in contact with Sienna Khan. As far as we are aware, no one has yet claimed responsibility. Atlas is refusing to release details or footage to the public. As far as the world knows, the question of who took down Schnee Manor remains a mystery." Adam paused for dramatic effect. "I've heard what some of you have been whispering. I've received your suggestions. Most of Remnant already assumes that we were involved. So why shouldn't we confirm it? Why shouldn't we take the credit? All the world will know then that there is no enemy we cannot reach, nowhere that they can hide from our justice. It can be the spark that ignites the kind of uprising we've all been dreaming of for years!"

Blake was silent this time as the cheers washed over them. The gnawing doubt in her stomach had returned. Adam looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to say something. This was her chance to speak up, her chance to clear her conscience. She took it.

"We're here for a discussion," Blake reminded them. "This isn't the kind of decision that we should rush into without considering the consequences. Jacques Schnee might not have been popular, but he wasn't the only one to die in the attack. There were servants, domestic staff, almost certainly some faunus among them. And then there was Whitley Schnee—"

A muscular faunus with a tattooed arm and a chainsaw heckled at that. "Who cares? A Schnee is a Schnee! Hateful whelp just like his father."

"He was only what, fourteen years old?" Blake shot back, incensed. "We are not killers of children! We are not monsters! Children are not to blame for the crimes of their parents. Nobody gets to choose their family. If we claim responsibility for this, we claim responsibility for all of it! Is that what you want the White Fang to be known as? Is that the kind of thing you want to do with your own hands?"

There were some doubtful glances exchanged in the crowd now. Blake was heartened by that, but less so by the majority who seemed far from convinced.

"What about the new head then? The girl?" another faunus demanded. "She's not that much older than the boy was. They say that she'll be put in charge of the SDC now. Is she innocent too? Is she untouchable?"

Blake frowned. "We could give her a chance to—"

There were only jeers at that, loud and angry enough to drown her out. Blake felt her heart sink as Adam placed a hand on her shoulder and stepped in front of her to restore order. He would throw them red meat until the mob quieted down. He was good at that. It made her feel useless, a nuisance. Maybe they all were right and she was wrong, a bleeding heart holding Adam back.

In that moment Blake was glad for her mask. It hid her frustrated tears.

* * *

A day ago Weiss had been comfortable, if not quite happy, ensconced in her own chambers at Schnee Manor.

Now she was standing on the edges of a White Fang camp, bearing witness as hardened terrorists discussed what they would do to her if they ever caught her. If only they knew. A thin mask over her eyes was all that separated her from that fate. Not for the first time Weiss wondered how her life could have taken such a turn. It was equal parts terrifying and surreal, and perhaps enough of each that they cancelled each other out and left her merely silent and bewildered.

Her first thought when Rose had told her about their destination was that the huntress had betrayed her, that she was going to be delivered to the White Fang for a filmed execution or something equally horrible. Rose had been quick to reassure her on that point, but then all Weiss could think about were the SDC executives and friends of her family who had been killed or tortured by the White Fang. She had hyperventilated, on the verge of a panic attack.

"Weiss." Rose had placed her hands on her shoulders. "I came a long way to protect you. I'd die to protect you. If anything happens to us it'll happen to me before you. I promise."

There had been such earnestness and warmth in her words that Weiss had believed them. In the end, if Rose meant her harm, what could Weiss really do to stop her? At least that was how she reasoned with herself when she wondered why she put so much faith in the mysterious huntress.

Apparently the Grimm had another target here in the White Fang camp. A terrorist, a prisoner, Rose wouldn't say. She had promised to tell Weiss everything as soon as they'd rescued this mystery person. It was the only reason Weiss had agreed to come along without a proper explanation; Rose had insisted that time was of the essence.

"How could it be so urgent when we left the Grimm behind in Atlas?" Weiss had asked.

Rose had shaken her head. "It won't have stayed there. Oceans aren't a barrier for it. It can swim. Heck I'm not totally sure it can't fly. It's fast and unlike us it doesn't get tired or need rest. And it can be smart when it needs to be. I don't know how much time we have, but we can't assume we have any to lose."

"But why would it be after someone in a White Fang camp?"

"Same reason it's after you," Rose had said cryptically. "I'll tell you all about it once we've found them."

And that had brought them here, to the heart of White Fang operations in Vale. Rose had put her arm around Weiss' shoulder at first, reminding her that she was there, even as her head turned to scan the crowd. Then the leaders had shown up. Weiss recognized Adam Taurus and couldn't help the fear that had pooled in her gut. The man had been a scourge on the SDC and his reputation was international. In some ways Weiss felt he was worse than the Grimm; the Grimm only wanted her dead. Taurus would want her to suffer.

The White Fang meeting had started much as Weiss had expected it to. Taurus whipped them up into a frenzy, urging them to take credit for the massacre of her home, as if taking all those innocent lives was something to be proud of. It had sickened her. Then, much to her surprise, the cat faunus beside Taurus had been something almost like a voice of reason. Weiss and Whitley had never gotten along, but he'd been her brother, and he hadn't deserved what had happened to him. Her heart hurt to think of him. It felt good to hear someone else stand up for his innocence in a place like this.

Of course the White Fang couldn't allow such sensibleness to slide. They shouted the cat faunus down until _she_ looked ashamed, of all things. Terrorists. Murderers. Monsters. Weiss wasn't sure what she had expected of this lot. She hoped Rose didn't expect her to travel with one of them.

"Have you spotted them yet?" Weiss asked impatiently.

There was no answer. Weiss turned to press the issue, only to discover that Rose had vanished. For a moment she stared uncomprehendingly at the empty space where the huntress had been. Then cold terror gripped her as the full weight of her situation sank in.

As if sensing her distress, the nearest White Fang member began to approach, a middle-aged man with prominent sideburns. Weiss kept her gaze forward and silently warded him off, to no avail.

"Hey. If you're looking for your companion, she headed off into the woods in a hurry. Don't worry about it, we all need to answer the call of nature once in a while, if you know what I mean."

Weiss nodded stiffly, not trusting herself to speak.

"The name's Tukson, by the way."

She was so nervous that it took her a few seconds to realize that he expected a response. By that point it would've felt awkward to give one, so she remained silent.

Tukson chuckled. "Shy little thing, aren't you? First time attending one of these?"

A part of Weiss bristled at that. She nodded.

"So what do you think? About the Schnees and what the White Fang should do next?"

Weiss was silent again as she thought about the manor and the life she'd had there, and the deaths she'd seen there. Almost to her own surprise, she found her voice.

"I think life is precious. I think it's fragile. It shouldn't be wasted. It should be protected."

Tukson looked surprised by her answer. Then he nodded thoughtfully. Before he could say anything more Rose was suddenly beside them again, grabbing Weiss by the hand and leading her back towards the woods. Tukson and a few other bystanders watched them leave, confused, but no one challenged them; their attention was still focused on the stage where the debate was ongoing.

Rose broke into a run as soon as they were out of sight. "We need to go."

"You left me alone!" Weiss hissed. "Where were you? I almost had a heart attack!"

"M'sorry. We're out of time." Rose sounded more frustrated than Weiss had ever heard from her before. "They're here. I need to get you away from this place before it becomes a battlefield. I'll take the fight to them, where it won't alert the White Fang."

"What are you talking about? Who's here?"

"The Ace-Ops. Plus one."

Weiss felt like she was back on the emotional rollercoaster. "Winter?"

"There just aren't any good options here," Rose complained. "I can't leave you with the White Fang, obviously. Pulling you away leaves the other target vulnerable, but I also can't let Atlas storm the camp and send them all running. I'm just going to have to put them down as hard and fast as possible. Might have to be a bit rougher than I wanted to be."

"Rougher? Wait, you promised—"

Rose silenced her by pulling her into a bone crushing hug. Weiss was so taken aback that all she could do was stand there limply as Rose squeezed her like she was the most precious thing in the world. For the first time Weiss thought she could feel some of Rose's own anxiety and fear. This embrace was more for Rose's benefit than for hers, Weiss realized. It was a startling reminder that the impressive huntress was only human, that she had her flaws, she had her weaknesses.

"I know. I'll keep it," Rose whispered. "Don't worry, I know exactly what I'm up against."

* * *

Clover folded his arms, his expression serious. It was silent in the dropship as they were flown to their destination. Seated around him, the rest of the Ace-Ops were triple checking their gear, preparing themselves for the mission like true professionals.

"Remember the briefing," Clover said. "We've identified what appears to be a White Fang camp less than five klicks from here, so we do this quiet. Extracting Weiss Schnee is the absolute top priority. Her kidnapper is secondary. Ironwood prefers live capture, but lethal force is authorized if necessary."

The other Ace-Ops nodded. They all knew the drill. The pilot's voice spoke up over the intercom.

"We're less than thirty seconds out from the drop point. We'll be coming in low for the sake of stealth. Watch out for turbulence, seems like we're carrying a bit more weight than expected."

At that, everyone turned towards opposite end of the dropship. Winter Schnee had seated herself alone there in the corner, her eyes closed, calm by all appearances. No one said anything.

Moments later the dropship came to a halt. There was a jolt and an inexplicable scraping sound as the airship adjusted. The Specialists braced themselves, then one by one they leaped out the doors and into a small clearing below. Clover went first, soon joined by the rest of his team. Winter came last and quickly disappeared into the forest. To avoid scrutiny from their handlers on the flagship the Schnee couldn't be looped into their secure comm channel, but Clover had no doubts that she could take care of herself.

The dropship swayed in the air before departing. Clover surveyed the surrounding terrain as the Ace-Ops awaited his orders. It was time to get moving. With any luck, they would be able to seize the element of surprise.

"Harriet, start canvassing the woods for any signs of the target. Notify us if you find anything and wait for backup. Do not engage on your own." Harriet nodded and sped off in a burst of sparks. "Vine, I want you in the treetops. You're our lookout."

Vine activated his Semblance and swung himself up into the foliage with an elongated arm. Clover turned to the remaining member of the team.

"Elm, you're with me. We're going to—"

Clover was interrupted as something slammed into his chest, knocking the air from his lungs. A bullet. He'd been shot before but never like this. Even as hot pain blossomed in his chest, he noted that the round must be ridiculously high caliber, maybe even custom work. A moment later it exploded, collapsing his aura and sending him flying.

"Sniper!" Elm shouted.

He felt Elm pick him up and dive behind cover. Another bullet promptly buried itself into the tree they had hid behind. It exploded, tipping it over onto them. Elm cursed and rooted her legs to the ground with her Semblance, catching the trunk as it fell, straining against its weight. Three more shots impacted the tree, blowing it into pieces, showering them with splinters and sap.

Clover tried to speak but was still having trouble breathing. Without his aura he knew he couldn't count on his own Semblance to save the day. It made him feel oddly helpless, not a position he was used to. Had their attacker planned it that way? Or had they just gone for the team leader first?

Elm pressed her hand to her earpiece. "Vine, I hope you have eyes on the damn target!"

"I'm looking! Wait, I think I see her. She's still wearing the white cloak. Transmitting coordinates now."

Moments later more bullets whizzed through the air, this time targeting Vine. Vine went silent as he took evasive action. Elm seized the opportunity to sling Clover over her shoulder and started running, staying low in the underbrush.

"Harriet what's taking you so long?" Elm demanded. "Are you closing in on the coordinates?"

"I'm at the coordinates and the target is gone! Repeat, target is gone! Watch out for a stealth or mobility Semblance, there's no other way she could've relocated that fast."

Elm cursed and redoubled her pace. Clover finally sucked in a full breath of air.

"I can stand," he wheezed. "Put me down! I can stand."

Elm complied, setting him down on his own two feet. It was just in time for a red hurricane to slam into her, blasting her against another tree. Petals swirled in the air. Rose petals. Elm was quick to react, rooting herself to the ground, taking another blow without giving an inch.

At last they could see what had hit them. It was a woman in a white cloak, not terribly tall, but somehow still appearing larger than life in the gloom. She held a long pole with a notch at the end where a blade might have been, perhaps a broken or incomplete polearm. In the shadows beneath her hood, her eyes seemed to glow faintly with unnatural power. It was like something from myth and legend. A vengeful spirit.

This was the woman known only as Rose. Weiss Schnee's kidnapper. Their target.

Elm used the leverage from her Semblance to uproot the nearest tree and hurl it at Rose, who dodged it deftly. Elm followed it up with a swing of her hammer as Clover released some line from Kingfisher, twirling his hook, lashing out and probing for openings. Rose dodged another attack from Elm and moved to counter, but Clover was able to wrap his line around her pole, trapping it.

As a full group or in pairs, the Ace-Ops had impeccable teamwork. Rose responded by transforming her weapon back into a sniper rifle, freeing it, but leaving her vulnerable just long enough for Elm to catch her with a devastating hit from Timber. Rose grunted and her aura flared as the hammer blow sent her flying. She dissipated into petals before she could hit the ground.

In an instant a flurry of blows struck both Elm and Clover, a red blur hitting them from every angle, faster than they could hope to react. It was all fists and feet and elbows and knees; better than a blade, but it still hurt like hell, especially for Clover who had no aura left. He cried out in pain as he was kicked into yet another tree. Kingfisher slipped from his grip.

Clover tapped his earpiece. "Harriet, Vine, the target is here! We're getting torn apart!"

Harriet cursed over the comm. There was a cry from Elm. Clover looked up in time to see the latter get sent flying right into him. They collapsed in a heap beneath the tree as Rose approached them confidently, holding her rifle loosely. To his surprise, the woman stopped about twenty paces away. It was a perfect opportunity to finish them off. Instead she raised her arm and pointed upwards.

Clover followed her finger with his gaze. There was a large insect nest dangling from a branch high above them. He gulped.

"Rapier wasps," Rose said helpfully. "Native wildlife. Welcome to Vale."

There was a gunshot. Clover's head snapped down to see smoke rising from Rose's barrel. A moment later the wasp nest fell and burst against the ground. It suddenly occurred to him just how much sweet sap had gotten onto him and Elm from earlier.

Rose bent down and picked up his fallen Kingfisher, muttering to herself. "And they say you never learn anything from field trips."

Clover wanted to protest, to retort, but he couldn't find the words.

Then all he knew was screaming and pain.

* * *

Harriet raced back towards Clover and Elm, pushing her Semblance. They had known not to underestimate the target, they'd reviewed the footage from Schnee Manor, and yet this Rose woman was clearly still more dangerous than they'd bargained for. Anyone able to take on Clover and Elm at the same time in close combat was serious bad news.

Those two weren't responding anymore. Instead she could hear their screaming over the comms. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she really put on the afterburners.

"Hold on guys, I'm coming!"

Something unseen caught her legs, tangling them up. Her absurd momentum sent her rocketing forwards, slamming face first into a boulder. The impact did a number on her aura, leaving her dazed, her head spinning. She struggled to untangle her feet. That was when she noticed what had tripped her: Fishing line. A wire that was strong, yet so thin as to be virtually invisible in this darkness.

Harriet looked around apprehensively. There was no mistaking it. Kingfisher had had its line strung up at knee height, all along the trees in the area. It was a trap laid just for her. At the speeds she had been going at, only her aura had prevented her legs from being cut right off.

A blinking light nearby caught her attention. Her eyes widened as she recognized the dust charge, right before it detonated and sent lighting surging through the wire. She screamed as her aura imploded and pain wracked her body. It couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds but it felt like an eternity. Her muscles spasmed involuntarily as it came to an end.

There were footsteps approaching. Harriet just barely managed to lift her head enough to watch as Rose placed a foot on her back and pried Fast Knuckles from it. Harriet gritted her teeth in fury as her weapon was taken from her. Rose inspected the smoking exoskeleton for a moment, then put it on herself and deployed it. She punched the nearby boulder and nodded in satisfaction as it crumbled.

"I always thought this thing was cool as heck," Rose admitted.

A spinning weapon sailed through the air. Rose deflected the attack with a thunderous backhand, knocking Thorn far off into the distance. Vine landed nearby, not wasting any time on words, lashing out with one elongated arm. Rose jumped over the attack even as she drew her sniper rifle and fired at close range. The shot caught Vine in the chest, knocking him backwards.

There was a roar from the trees. Bruised, furious, covered in welts and still chased by wasps, Elm charged forth with Timber trailing fiery exhaust. Harriet's heart hammered. It was now or never. Unarmed, without aura, Harriet staggered to her feet and lunged. Rose blurred into action, kicking Harriet to the ground, only for Vine's arm to catch her in the chest. The attack knocked Rose straight into Elm's fully powered hammer blow. There was a sickening crack.

Rose cried out in pain. Then, a split second after the impact, she seemed to explode into petals. She reappeared besides Elm, delivering a devastating uppercut with Fast Knuckles that sent Elm high into the air and then crashing down, instantly unconscious. Vine extended his arms to attack again, but Rose blurred inside his guard. Her punch hit him with enough force to send him crashing through several trees before he came to a stop. Fast Knuckles was spitting sparks now, hopelessly damaged from all it had been through. Rose shrugged the failing exoskeleton off of her. Fast Knuckles was a speedster's weapon, meant to compliment the unnatural momentum that only a Semblance could provide. Harriet had never seen anyone else use it so effectively.

Defeated, humiliated, unable to rise, Harriet balled her hand into a fist and pounded the ground in anger and despair. The Ace-Ops, dismantled by a single opponent. It was unthinkable.

"Sorry about this," Rose said. "I know you're just doing your jobs. I wish we didn't have to fight, but I really don't have time to waste. There are people who need me right now."

Rose turned to leave but stumbled after her first step. Apparently surprised, she paused, touched her side, and seemed to flinch. She lifted her arm and wiped at her unseen face with the back of her hand. It came away bloody. Harriet felt a tinge of satisfaction at the realization that they'd done some damage after all. Whoever the woman was, whatever she was, she was at least still mortal.

With a shake of her hooded head, Rose pressed on and tried to leave.

A wall of solid ice sprung up to bar her path.

"You're not going anywhere."

Winter Schnee emerged from the trees, her eyes as hard and cold as her namesake.

* * *

Blake took a deep breath and raised her voice again.

"The safest thing to do, the smartest thing to do, is to disavow and condemn the attack!" she insisted, determined not to give up. "Think about it! They haven't released the footage, but we know they must have it. What would it look like if we claim responsibility and then they prove otherwise? We'll look like fools! We'll be fools! We're not so desperate that we need to steal credit for crimes we haven't even committed!"

There was a clamor of voices as everyone shouted to be heard before finally Adam called upon one of them.

"Everyone knows that Atlas lies!" she shouted. "If they release footage we'll denounce it as fake. They've had enough time to cook up whatever they want. For all we know, it'll be fake!"

"I agree with Blake," Tukson, the bookseller, countered. "This could be a moment to show the world that the White Fang is reasonable, that our methods are worthy of our goals. Look at the coverage of the attack, there's been an outpouring of sympathy for Atlas and even the SDC. We can win more allies now through moderation than through terror."

The crowd quieted to a low muttering as they considered that. Blake glanced at Adam, who seemed content to allow the discussion to run its course. It was a losing battle for her, Blake had no illusions about that, but at least she was able to say her piece. At least she could try. The White Fang had been her whole life; Adam knew how important this was for her.

A shrill scream rang out clearly through the night, cutting through the discussion. There was sudden silence. Everyone stared in the direction the noise had come from.

"That's the perimeter," Adam muttered. "You two. Check it out."

The White Fang members he'd singled out saluted and darted into the trees. Blake watched them go in trepidation.

Most likely it would be a Beowulf or an Ursa, or some other minor Grimm that had taken a patrol by surprise. It wasn't exactly uncommon when your headquarters were a camp out in the wilderness. She knew there was nothing to fear here; this was the single largest concentration of White Fang strength in Vale. Many members based in Vale itself had made the trek to attend the meeting. Adam was with her, even. She knew very well how strong he was.

So why was she so unsettled by the silence?


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I enjoy writing fight scenes. I hope you enjoy reading them! Fun fact, in terms of portrayal, the Grimm in this story is probably more inspired by Nemesis (of Resident Evil fame) than the Terminator. The Terminator is fundamentally an infiltrator, and frightening in large part because it can pass for human. Nemesis doesn't infiltrate, he evokes a more visceral type of fear. In my original draft of this story, the Grimm was actually a deranged version of Salem herself, and the only words she would speak would be to scream the names of the members of RWBY, kind of like Nemesis does. Also, tentacles. Incidentally it was Coeur who suggested that I change the pursuer to a construct instead of Salem; he felt it would be more intimidating this way. I think I agree.

**Beta:** N/A

* * *

It was like fighting the wind itself.

Winter leaped from tree to glyph to tree, each glyph boosting her momentum, sending her careening through the forest at a speed most would consider reckless. Her enemy, visible mostly as a flurry of red rose petals, twisted and winded through the woods in an attempt to lose her. Every now and then the petals would coalesce into a glimpse of a white cloak, and then a bullet would sail at Winter, or a tree branch would snap at just the right angle to get in her way.

In return Winter sent whole flocks of white summoned Nevermore chasing after Rose, harassing her at each appearance, ensuring she never got a chance to rest. The huntress was injured, it was obvious in how she favored her right side. Her reactions were sometimes razor sharp, sometimes less so. That was fine by Winter. She channeled fire dust into her Semblance and timed it carefully. An orange glyph exploded at just the right moment to catch Rose as she reappeared, sending the huntress tumbling to the ground.

Winter was on her in an instant, swinging her saber in a flurry of strikes. Rose blocked each one with her pole, twirling her weapon with deft precision, a perfect defense. Rose turned to run again but found her escape cut off by summoned Beowolves. Winter had stronger summons in her arsenal, but these she could bring out faster and in greater numbers. Against a speed Semblance she felt the strategy was sound.

A press of a trigger freed Winter's second blade, this one loaded with gravity dust. It took Rose only a moment to dispatch the Beowolves. That was enough for Winter to conjure a black glyph beneath the huntress' feet. An invisible force exerted itself on Rose, forcing her to one knee. Winter clenched her fist, focusing the pressure, trying to crush the life from her foe. She was rewarded with a mewl of pain as Rose struggled to keep her body from contorting into a ruined mess.

Winter advanced cautiously. This didn't seem like a threat that could've taken down the Ace-Ops. It wasn't just injury. The breathtaking skills were there, the powerful Semblance was there, but the aggression just wasn't. Rose was behaving almost as though she was afraid of hurting Winter. Squeamishness? Sentiment? Whatever it was it had no place on a battlefield, least of all this one.

Rose grunted as Winter hacked at her with her saber. Her aura flickered just long enough for Winter's smaller blade to sink into her shoulder. Rose screamed, finally. At last that white cloak was stained red with blood. Winter felt an ugly satisfaction at that, at the knowledge that someone else was feeling just a little of the pain and terror she had been through over the past day.

The gravity effect gave out. In an instant Winter was pelted by rose petals. Somewhere among those petals there was a fist, and she staggered backwards from the blow. A pole struck her kneecap, then the back of her other knee, then her head, her head again, and a third time until she toppled over. Winter brought her blades up to defend, but there was no follow up.

Rose stood a respectful distance away now, her chest heaving, one hand applying pressure to her wounded shoulder.

"We don't have to do this," Rose rasped. "The Weiss I know wouldn't want this. She'd cry if she saw this."

Winter got to her feet. "You don't get to speak for her. The only possibilities that await you now are death or an Atlesian interrogation chair. Tell me where my sister is and Atlas will ensure your suffering lasts only as long as necessary."

"You don't know what you're doing. You're going to get her killed. You're going to get everyone killed!"

Winter ignored her. There was no going back now. She had already sacrificed her career at this point. Ironwood wouldn't forgive her, nor would she expect his forgiveness. There was nothing else for her, no other path, except taking this woman apart until she died or gave up Weiss.

Gripping her weapons tightly, Winter lunged forward.

* * *

Blake didn't know how everything had gone so wrong so quickly.

The scouts sent to check the perimeter hadn't returned. That should've been their first clue, but still they rationalized it away, confident in their strength and position. Minutes passed awkwardly. The crowd started to get restless. Blake had stood back quietly all the while, her heart beating louder and louder. When the mutterings became too much to ignore Adam finally got impatient. He'd dispatched a full search party, a dozen faunus, into the woods.

It was half a minute later that the silence was finally broken by more screams and very brief sounds of struggle. When silence fell again, it seemed much heavier than before.

The camp had quickly shifted to a war footing at that point, moving with a speed and efficiency that would've impressed any official government on Remnant. Heavy weapons had been dragged into position, defensive lines formed, fortifications manned. The White Fang in the camp included some of their very best; veterans from the Faunus Rights Revolution and fresher blood who had run countless drills. They had prepared for anything from huntsmen raids to a full Atlesian assault. Hundreds of faunus working together in disciplined unison.

It had stirred pride in Blake's heart to witness it, to see what the White Fang could still accomplish when it was at its best.

They had not been prepared for inky blackness to burst from the tree line in the shape of a woman. They had no answer when it shrugged off their bullets, their dust, their Semblances and heavy ordinance. In moments it was upon them, dozens of tendrils writhing from its back, each one impaling any faunus within reach. With its hands the Grimm had lifted trucks and weapon emplacements that must have weighed tons; these it flung at clusters of White Fang forces, flattening them completely.

A few faunus were brave enough to try to engage it at close range. The buff lieutenant wielding a chainsaw had managed to strike at its neck, only to have the chainsaw teeth break against its skin. The lieutenant was promptly skewered in three places before being literally ripped to pieces.

Much of the camp fell into chaos at that point. Discipline broke for some, who fled into the woods without any care for what they brought with them. Where resistance persisted, it was brutally punished, with tentacle lashes and thrown projectiles. The stage was quickly abandoned, Adam personally escorting Blake back towards their tent even as he shouted orders, trying to rally a defense. Blake was too stunned to even protest at being taken away from the fight.

Blake had watched over her shoulder as the Grimm climbed atop the stage. It cast its gaze around the camp. Then its eyes met hers and her heart stopped. Blake couldn't explain how, but the moment she saw those hateful red orbs she knew, she just _knew_ that it was here for her.

Then it had come straight at her.

In desperation they ran for their precious stockpile of dust, gathered painstakingly over months of dangerous raids. Adam had ordered the crates torched as the Grimm drew near. The explosions were spectacular, lighting up the night with colors as dust effects of every type consumed the Grimm. For several glorious moments Blake had dared to hope that it was dead.

Hope died quickly when the Grimm emerged, glowing faintly with the aftereffects of dust, but apparently unharmed.

That was how Blake and Adam now found themselves engaged in a fight for their lives.

"Don't let it hit you!" Adam shouted as he parried a strike from a black tendril, absorbing the impact with his Semblance.

Blake knew that much already; she had seen the Grimm punch right through the aura of too many other White Fang members as if they'd had none.

"I think it's after me!" she cried. "For some reason it wants me!"

As if in agreement the Grimm launched half a dozen tendrils at her at the same time, trying to strike from multiple angles. Blake felt adrenaline surge in her veins as she dodged the first few, leaped into the air, and then left a clone behind to be skewered like a pincushion. A final tentacle clipped her aura on her way down, and even that was enough to send her flying.

Adam unloaded Blush on the Grimm, trying desperately to get its attention. The only response was an almost contemptuous flick of another tentacle. Adam absorbed that attack as well, then darted in for a series of strikes so fast that they left behind afterimages. The Grimm spent precious seconds dividing its attention between the afterimages and Blake's clones, swatting at the incorporeal targets as fast as they could create them.

It wasn't sustainable. The Grimm was showing no signs of slowing, and all it would take was one mistake, one successful strike. Blake knew it. Adam knew it.

"Blake," Adam said seriously. "You have to run. Run!"

The Grimm lunged at Blake with its humanoid arms outstretched, so fast and so sudden that it almost caught her. She dived beneath it, a clone propelling her on her way. It took a moment for Adam's words to sink in, and when they did she stared at him in disbelief. Her instincts had been screaming at her to do as he said, to flee, but not for a moment did she think she could bring herself to go through with it. Not when Adam was risking his life just to protect her.

"I'm not leaving you behind!"

Adam cursed as the Grimm shot another tendril at Blake while she was distracted. He dove in front of her to block and absorb the attack with Wilt.

"I need you out of the way," Adam insisted. "If anyone can fight this thing, it's me."

Blake's eyes widened as Adam glowed red with the telltale signs of his Semblance. The Grimm turned to face them, for the first time focusing in on Adam, the obstruction standing between it and its target. It occurred to Blake then that each of the blows that Adam had absorbed so far had been powerful enough to pierce aura, powerful enough to impale and kill their comrades in a single hit.

The Grimm regarded Adam. Adam tightened his grip on the hilt of Wilt, preparing to draw. For a moment the two stared each other down from behind their respective masks. The Grimm moved first, surging forward, all of its limbs bristling.

Adam unleashed his Semblance.

The shattered moon hung pale in the sky as the whole world seemed to tremble and bleed red. It was like a wave of crimson and black washing away everything in its path, a giant blade scoring a deep wound in the earth and the air. It struck the Grimm head on, flinging it backwards like a rag doll, sending it flying like nothing else they had tried had been able to do.

It was as powerful as anything Blake had ever seen from Adam. It wasn't enough.

The Grimm righted itself in the air and landed on all fours without any evident sign of damage. It began loping towards them like an animal, a motion that looked intensely disturbing with its humanoid body. As it drew closer a single tentacle reared up from its back before darting at Adam.

Adam confidently brought Wilt up to block the familiar attack. Then the one tendril split apart into four, bypassing his blade altogether, stabbing deep into his flesh. Adam cried out as the Grimm lifted him bodily into the air and slammed him against the ground for good measure. Wilt and Blush slid from his grasp. His mask fell from his face.

He looked at Blake as blood dribbled from his lips.

"Blake," he choked. "I love—"

With a twitch of its limbs the Grimm tore him to bits.

"NO!"

Torn between grief, rage, and terror, Blake fired useless bullets at the Grimm with tears streaming down her face. Its obstacle removed, the Grimm wasted no time in directing a similar attack at her. Again she escaped death only thanks to her Semblance.

As she spared a look around, all Blake could see were fires burning and White Fang dead or fleeing. It felt like her whole world was collapsing around her. Everything she'd ever worked for, everything she'd cared about was gone. Part of her wanted to give up, to stay and fight, to stay and die.

Instead Blake turned and tried to run. She stumbled then, of all things. Tripped. She might've laughed if she wasn't already crying. Through her tears she watched as a black tendril dove for her, its aim true, her death certain.

A strange white glyph appeared before her.

The tendril slammed against the glyph, shattering it, not quite stopped but deflected enough that it missed its mark. Another glyph appeared beneath Blake, this one golden with a clock design. Suddenly the world seemed very slow, or perhaps it was Blake who was very fast. Blake had no idea what was happening and she wasn't about to waste time wondering. She scrambled to her feet and fled, moving faster now than she'd ever moved before.

The mysterious speed effect gave her a healthy head start as she plunged into the woods. She could hear the Grimm crashing through the underbrush behind her in hot pursuit. Alone, her heart broken, Blake ran for her life.

It felt like the only thing she had left.

* * *

Her enemy was distracted.

Winter pressed the assault, focused on her victory, focused on the only thing that mattered. Ever since the skies had lit up with colors Rose had been stealing glances in the direction of the White Fang camp. Smoke had been rising from there ever since, enough to be visible for miles around. The distant fires glowed in the night. Rose had become almost panicked, frantic, her attention straying from their fight.

"It's here!" Rose gasped. "I have to go! You have to let me go! Please!"

Begging for mercy? Truly? It was a sin for a soldier.

Winter punished her for it. Rose was hounded and corralled by summoned Beowolves and Nevermore, forced to dodge orange and black glyphs with mixed success. Her cloak was singed and torn in places. The bloodstain from her shoulder wound had grown. If things kept on as they were, Rose would bleed out eventually, but Winter didn't want to wait that long. She had been waiting for this long enough.

In desperation Rose tried to speed away as petals, but Winter boxed her in with glyphs and walls of ice.

"You've made your bed," Winter told her.

Winter charged in with both blades awhirl, clashing against Rose's pole with her saber, sneaking in quick jabs with her dagger that steadily drained aura. It was like she was a spectator in her own body now as her muscles went to work. Sorrow. Rage. Frustration. All of the emotions she'd been suppressing for the past day were threatening to burst forth at once.

There was a gunshot. One end of Rose's pole slammed into Winter's chin with more force than should've been possible. Winter staggered backwards. Rose had fired her weapon and used the recoil to enhance her melee attack, she realized. She couldn't see Rose's face, but beneath that hood her eyes were glinting silver, her posture more resolved than it had been before.

"If I fall here then Remnant falls. It'll all be for nothing," Rose said quietly. "I don't have a choice. I'm sorry, Weiss."

Winter conjured a ring of black glyphs around them to prevent another retreat. Rose responded by diving into close quarters, swinging her pole. Each time she clashed against Winter's blades she would fire her weapon, breaking the deadlock through brute force, doing damage and leaving Winter open. Those openings were exploited with brutal punches and kicks. Rose was like a red blur bouncing around her now; Winter was flailing at petals more than she was landing any hits.

Petals swirled into her face, enough to obscure her vision. She never saw the end of the staff coming as it slammed into her stomach. Winter was thrown backwards into her own black glyphs. She cancelled the glyphs as a bullet took a chunk out of her aura, and then another. Rose was advancing on her with sniper rifle in hand, not bothering to use the scope at this range, her shots no less accurate for it.

There was the aggression Winter had thought was missing. There was the killing intent.

Winter grabbed a fistful of dirt from the forest floor and hurled it at Rose's face. The move bought just enough time for her to get back on her feet. This was mortal combat now. This time both of them knew that the loser wouldn't be walking away.

Rose shifted her weapon back to a pole. Winter raised her blades. They couldn't know exactly what their aura was at, but both of them had to be running on fumes. So focused were they on their next, likely final exchange, that they didn't react to the sound of running feet. As the two women lunged at each other a white blur darted out from the trees and interposed itself between them.

"STOP!"

Winter just barely managed to abort her attack in time, her shoulder crashing awkwardly into the white glyph in her way. It was Weiss who stood before her now, her legs spread, arms crossed over her chest, each open palm projecting a glyph to block both Winter and Rose. Winter stared uncomprehendingly for a moment. Then, with a frisson of horror, she realized just how far she had lost herself to her emotions. It was just as Ironwood had feared. She had made mistakes. She had almost hurt her own sister.

"Weiss," Rose gasped. "I'm sorry. The camp. I have to… I have to…"

Weiss hushed her. "You overexerted yourself. I was afraid of this. Don't tell me I didn't try to tell you so. Look at this wound! What were you thinking? Winter is the best there is, I thought you knew that already. This was foolishness from start to finish. This couldn't possibly have been your plan."

"There was no plan," Rose mumbled. "Just trying my best."

"Well you've certainly done it now. Hold still."

Weiss tore a strip of cloth from her own dress, the very one she'd been meant to wear for the gala. She deftly used it to bind Rose's shoulder in the manner Winter recognized that their first aid tutor had taught them. Winter watched in bewilderment as Rose, the powerful huntress, the woman who had Atlas up in arms, seemed to melt like putty under Weiss' attention. Nothing about the scene made any sense at all.

It didn't take long for Weiss to finish treating the wound, scolding Rose under her breath all the way. She then stood and turned to face Winter. Tears shone in her eyes. Winter stiffened as Weiss flung her arms around her and held on tightly. Neither she nor her siblings had ever been very touchy-feely people. In the Schnee household displays of affection were rare and typically discouraged. Here and now, however, Winter found that it wasn't unwelcome. She gingerly brought her own arms up to return the embrace.

"I've missed you so much," Weiss sobbed.

"Weiss," Winter murmured. "Are you alright? What's going on?"

Her sister reluctantly released her and took a step back. She visibly composed herself.

"I'm fine. The Grimm that attacked the manor, the one that killed father and Whitley. It's here. It's here, now, going after another target at the White Fang camp. Rose is right, the military won't be able to stop this thing. Atlas is no refuge. I saw what it did to those terrorists."

Rose's head snapped up. "You went back to the camp? I told you—"

"I had to see it for myself, Rose. It was just like you said. All of it."

Winter looked at Rose suspiciously. "What is your connection to all this? I've seen the footage from the manor, I know what the Grimm is capable of. Who are you, though? Where do you fit in and what is your interest in my sister?"

"Would you believe me if I said I've seen the future?"

Winter blinked. Of all the answers she might've imagined, that wasn't one of them. It was apparently news to Weiss as well, judging from the look on her face. The Schnee sisters stared mutely. It was madness, surely. And yet, so were a lot of things that had happened lately.

"Convince me," Winter said at last. "Tell me something you couldn't possibly know."

"I know what happened at Weiss' tenth birthday. I'm sorry about your mother." Rose fixed her gaze on Winter even as Weiss went stiff. "I know about the talk you had with Weiss, when you made her realize she was being praised for her family name and not her own merits. You knew what you were doing. You've always wanted her to become independent, become her own person, like you did when—"

"Enough," Winter said hoarsely. Her head was spinning. This was too much.

"There no time for the whole story," Rose pressed. "Every moment we waste here could mean the end of Remnant. You got your wish. Weiss is important, not because of her stupid name but because of what she's going to do. There are three other girls who are just as important. I need to get to them before the Grimm does. I need to keep them safe."

"If this is true," Winter said slowly. "I should be coming with you. I can help protect Weiss."

Rose shook her head. "The SDC is going to need someone to run it for the time being, otherwise things might really go off the rails. It needs to be someone that Weiss can trust to not rob her inheritance from her or run it into the ground."

Winter and Weiss looked at each other. Weiss nodded.

"You trust her?" Winter asked.

"I do."

Winter closed her eyes. "I expect a full explanation at earliest opportunity. I want Weiss to call whenever she wants, and I want that to be often."

"Can do," Rose agreed readily.

Winter extended her hand. Rose shook it as though they hadn't been doing their level best to kill each other just minutes prior. Weiss and Winter then shared another sisterly embrace that was starting to feel less awkward and more natural.

Finally, Weiss turned to Rose. "Let's go. We've got a cat faunus girl to rescue. I did what I could, but that murderous thing is still chasing her. I don't intend to let it have its way."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** So now that we're a little deeper into the story I wanted to talk more about the differences between the typical _Days of Future Past_ model of time travel narratives versus the _Terminator_ model that I'm following here. In a DOFP style of story, the time traveler always comes back from a future that's totally shit, and the more shit the better, because that provides the dramatic impetus to "get things right" the second time around.

If you look at the first _Terminator_, on the other hand, the narrative stroke of brilliance is that humanity actually won in the future. SkyNet sends its Terminators to the past because it already lost the war and has no other recourse. The dramatic weight then shifts to protecting the status quo, protecting the timeline. For this story, I was rather attracted to the idea of writing about a time traveler who came from a future that turned out alright; it's because that future turned out alright that Rose wants to protect it all the more. There's still plenty of darkness and loss in this story, of course, but all of it comes from the interference to the timeline and not from the original future.

Anyway, after all of that action, this chapter is more about the characters. Part of the reason I wanted to write this story in the first place is because I was obsessed with the idea of characters being forced to meet well before they are "ready" to do so. It plays into the title, you see.

**Beta:** N/A

* * *

Blake felt like her lungs were on fire, her throat parched, her breath coming in heavy pants. Her eyes were wide and wild. She was drenched in sweat, desperately thirsty, but she had no time to even think of drink. Her muscles burned with exhaustion as she pushed her stamina beyond the breaking point, continuing to run without pause.

The snapping and crashing of trees behind her told her that her pursuer still had her trail, that the Grimm was still coming. To falter now would mean death.

It had been hours since Blake had fled the White Fang camp, hours of being chased and hunted like a wild animal. Blake had thought that she knew the woods, had hoped that she might manage to hide or evade pursuit. Nothing she tried had confused it for long. It seemed to have a singular focus on her, and only her. It was like no other Grimm she had ever heard of.

Blake's vision had begun to blur. It was purely exhaustion at this point; she had run out of tears long ago. For a while the sheer terror and adrenaline had kept her clearheaded, staving off thoughts of the massacre and of Adam. Later, as her strength began to flag, her mind had sunk into a fog until it was all she could do to continue running in a straight line. She felt the heartache though, a dull feeling of despair, whispering that perhaps it wouldn't be so terrible to simply let go and give in.

A whoosh from behind warned Blake of another thrown projectile. She glanced over her shoulder. It was a thick tree branch this time. She barely managed to bring Gambol Shroud up to meet it. The sheath cleaver sunk into the wood, knocking it away, but Blake found she lacked the strength to pull the blade out. Instead the branch took the sheath with it as it as it fell away, leaving her with only the katana.

Just one more thing she had lost.

The trees were thinning up ahead. That couldn't mean anything good. Sure enough, it was a deep ravine, its sides too rocky and steep to safely descend. Under normal circumstances Blake might have been able to make the jump, she would have at least tried, but as tired as she was there was no hope of that at all. Her eyes fell upon an old, tall tree that had grown out over the ravine to escape the shade of the forest.

Blake shifted her remaining half of Gambol Shroud to its sickle form and loosened its ribbon. Mustering the last of her strength, she threw it so that it wrapped around the further branch of the tree. Running right off the ledge, she swung from her ribbon and released her grip, hurtling across the ravine before slamming onto the hard ground on the other side. The last of her aura sputtered and died as she landed awkwardly. A sharp pain shot through her leg. She looked down at the traitorous limb to discover that she had twisted her ankle. There would be no more running now.

Desperately, Blake looked across the ravine, hoping against hope that the Grimm would be unable to follow. The Grimm emerged from the tree line and fixed her with a piercing red stare. It looked up at where Gambol Shroud still dangled from a branch. With one swipe of its arm it knocked over the whole great tree, causing it to come crashing down, bridging the gap across. Blake's heart sank further as she tried pathetically to crawl away. She knew it was useless, but the terror in her still wanted her to run.

A bullet struck the Grimm from behind and promptly exploded. The Grimm barely paused as it began to cross the ravine, shrugging off another couple shots. There was a swirl of rose petals then, and suddenly a woman in a white cloak stood in its way. Without preamble, light poured from beneath her hood, chasing away the dawn in flashes and strobes. It looked almost like silver lightning.

Blake watched in surreal disbelief as the Grimm writhed and turned half to stone even as it tried to lunge at the woman. Finally the light cut out, and the woman pointed her sniper rifle down at the tree trunk both she and the Grimm were standing on. Her arms didn't look particularly steady, but she didn't need to aim for this.

The explosive shot blew the tree in half. Both halves of the trunk fell, taking the Grimm and the rest of Gambol Shroud with it. The woman vanished in a flurry of petals only to reappear near Blake. Without missing a beat, she fired several more shots at the other side of the ravine. The explosions triggered a rockslide. The Grimm, half petrified already, was buried under what must have been tons of stone.

Blake breathed raggedly, her vision swimming in and out of focus. This was too much to take in. She thought she might feel relief at apparently being saved, but she was too spent to feel even that. She offered no reaction as the mysterious woman pulled her to her feet and into an inexplicable embrace.

"Found you. Finally."

Blake didn't even question it as the woman began to lead her away, patting her on the back soothingly, lending her shoulder as support. Blake appreciated being allowed to limp along on her own power. She didn't want to be carried. The woman was gentle about it, but Blake could tell that she didn't really have a choice about following her. Weaponless, powerless, it was all out of Blake's hands now. Whatever happened to her would happen.

Delirious and barely clinging to consciousness, Blake did not remember the rest of their trek. The next thing she knew, the cloaked woman was escorting her into a small clearing with her hands on her shoulders. There was a campfire waiting there, a pot of water put on to boil, along with a couple large duffle bags and a girl in a white dress.

The girl looked up. Blake was sure then that she was hallucinating. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand but still the apparition sat there, staring back at her. It was a face that was famous across Remnant as a singer and heiress. Among other things.

Weiss Schnee. The enemy. The enemy leader now, no less.

Blake's tired mind swirled with questions. She looked again at the woman who had captured her, noting the white cloak. Schnee colors. A bodyguard? If Weiss Schnee was out here with only one woman as protection, then that one woman must be enough. Somehow the SDC had found out about what had happened to the camp and had dispatched a cleanup crew. Why the head Schnee herself had come along was a mystery, but it could portend nothing good.

Blake fell to her knees and shakily placed her hands on her head, understanding now a little of what was happening.

There were stories about how Atlas conducted its interrogations. They weren't pretty. It was also said that when tortures were needed that even the Atlas Military wouldn't stoop to, they would outsource to SDC security instead. Blake supposed she would be finding just out how much of that was true.

"I surrender," she said brokenly.

* * *

Ironwood's heavy footsteps echoed through the otherwise silent corridors. The airship brig was unlike the rest of the vessel in that it had been modeled after more traditional castle dungeons, with flying buttresses and arched windows, a design flourish meant to intimidate prisoners. He'd always thought it looked vain rather than intimidating.

He liked to think of himself as prepared for anything, and yet Winter's insubordination had managed to catch him completely by surprise. Ever since she had first entered his service, her loyalty and commitment to duty had been beyond reproach. Along the way Ironwood had personally come to rely on her more than any of his other officers. More, perhaps, than he had ever admitted to himself before.

When such an exemplary soldier goes rogue, how much of that is the fault of their commanding officer? Could he have done more to allay her concerns? Should he have confined her to quarters, or left her behind in Atlas? He shook his head. Knowing Winter and the strength of her convictions, none of those measures would have prevented her from going to her sister's aid. It was an unpleasant turnabout, to have those convictions arrayed against him rather than with him.

Ironwood paused outside the cell. He took a deep breath, then opened it and stepped through. Winter was seated on her cot, waiting, her face politely neutral. She seemed calm, but Ironwood knew better. This was as difficult for her as it was for him.

"The Ace-Ops wanted to thank you for assisting with their evac," Ironwood began. "They insist that your presence may have saved their lives."

Winter shook her head. "I cannot claim credit for that. I do not believe that Rose ever intended to kill anyone."

"So I saw in your report. I appreciated your usual thoroughness." Ironwood inclined his head. "You are being released. Publicly, you will be allowed to resign your commission."

"Thank you for your clemency, General."

Ironwood honestly wished he could do more for this soldier who had given him her all, but they both knew that what she had done had to have consequences. Letting her leave on her own terms to avoid publicly embarrassing her was already stretching it.

"I hear you've already retained the services of Atlas' top legal firms," he noted. "Word is that you'll be making a bid for director of the SDC as early as tomorrow."

"Acting director. It's Weiss company. I don't intend to cheat her, nor will I allow her to be cheated."

Ironwood looked at her searchingly. "Why did you do it, Winter?"

Winter returned his gaze solemnly, the look of a woman who knew exactly what she had sacrificed and did not regret it.

"Recent events have reminded me of what's really important, and of the duties I've neglected as a sister," she replied. "I intend to make amends by helping Weiss however I can. If that means watching over her company for her, then that is what I will do."

"No matter what Weiss might agree to from abroad, there will be some on the council who will fight you. I hope you're prepared for the accusations that will be leveled."

Winter gave a small smile at that. "You said it yourself, General. Atlas and the world needs stability atop the SDC. I may have been disowned, but I was raised for most of my life to inherit the company. Weiss is away of her own volition, and she will not willingly return soon. When the council realizes this, I expect cold pragmatism to prevail. It always does in Atlas."

That was it then. The end of the most promising military career that Ironwood had seen in all his time as General of Atlas. He extended his hand. Winter shook it. The firmness of their grasp communicated all that their words did not.

"I wish you all the best in the private sector Miss Schnee," Ironwood said.

Winter nodded. "For whatever it is worth, General, you have my deepest apologies."

Ironwood turned and left then, leaving the door unlocked behind him. He marched away from the cell with his usual composure and discipline. It was only when he was sure he was alone, in the lift, that he finally slammed his fist against the wall.

When he returned to the bridge he would have to determine how much of Winter's report to take at face value, as well as what to do with the incredible mess left in his lap. For the moment, however, he allowed himself to mourn the loss of the officer who he had hoped would one day replace him.

* * *

Weiss stoked the fire, taking a sip from a pouch of instant coffee she'd procured from one of the rations. It was a foul taste compared to anything that had been served to her before, but under the circumstances, to Weiss it might as well have been the finest ambrosia.

As the only one awake in their little camp, it fell to Weiss to keep a lookout in case the Grimm returned. She glanced over at the faunus that Rose had introduced as Blake, who was presently curled up beneath a blanket near the fire. No matter what Rose had tried to tell her, Blake seemed to have decided that she was their prisoner. She had been tense and defensive before quickly succumbing to sleep. Rose had given up and passed out then as well, leaving Weiss all alone.

Weiss would've liked to complain, but she knew that Rose had been running and fighting for at least nearly two days straight. It was impressive that the huntress had kept it up for as long as she had. She was out cold now though. That actually helped humanize her in Weiss' eyes. After seeing what Rose was capable of, it had become easy to think of her as some kind of perfect warrior, someone who always knew exactly what to do and didn't make mistakes. Weiss was coming to realize now that at her core Rose was just another person.

That in turn made it easier to question some of Rose's judgment. Weiss glanced at the other sleeping member of their camp. Blake, the faunus, the White Fang terrorist, had been left completely unrestrained after Rose had dragged her in. Rose had been determined to prove that Blake wasn't a prisoner. Weiss couldn't help but wonder if that was wise. She recognized Blake as the girl who had bravely preached common decency to the White Fang, but at the end of the day, Blake had still been one of them. She had supported the White Fang through all of its violent crimes.

Weiss took another sip of coffee. Rose was clearly operating on some kind of vision of the future when it came to Blake. Perhaps Blake was supposed to ascend to the leadership of the White Fang and broker peace with humanity. Maybe Weiss was meant to be a part of that as well. It would make sense based on what little she knew. That would be a future worth protecting. Of course, Weiss thought idly, just because that might have been their destiny didn't necessarily mean that it was anymore.

There was a faint rustling, and that was all the warning Weiss got before she was tackled to the ground. She was pinned by two arms and a leg, one of their camping knives pressed to her throat hard enough to tickle her aura. Weiss looked up to see a pair of wild catlike eyes glaring down at her.

"Could you really?" Weiss whispered. "Could you kill me? In cold blood?"

"I don't have anything left to lose," Blake choked out. "Don't assume you know what I won't do, Schnee."

"I heard you speak at the camp. You don't want to do this."

Blake looked surprised and lost for a moment. Then her expression hardened again with resolve.

"Adam would want me to do it!"

Weiss met her eyes unblinkingly. "You're not Adam Taurus."

"You don't get to speak his name! It's all because of you! You and your family!"

"Most of my family is dead!" Weiss finally found herself shouting back. "Do you think you're the only one who's lost anything then? My father wasn't—he wasn't a kind man. But do you think it was easy to see him get gored in the head? Do you think I fancied watching my little brother die? Klein, the only person in my life who'd always been kind to me, he—"

Weiss choked up, no longer able to talk around the lump in her throat. Tears prickled at her eyes. Blake looked taken aback. Weiss grabbed the wrist that held the knife then and shoved it hard against her own neck, her aura flaring and draining at an alarming rate. Blake's eyes widened and she yanked her hand back, scrambling backwards, dropping the knife as if it burned her.

"That's what I thought." Weiss sat up and rubbed her throat ruefully. "For your information, the Grimm that attacked your camp is the very same one that attacked Schnee Manor and killed my family. It was Rose over there who saved me then. She said that it would be coming after you next, and so we came to rescue you. She's seen the future apparently. You're not a prisoner."

Blake's chest rose and fell. "If I'm not a prisoner then you won't mind if I run."

"On that leg?" Weiss raised an eyebrow at Blake's ankle.

Blake gritted her teeth and shut her eyes at that, and Weiss could see frustrated tears leaking from the edges. She felt a stab of empathy at the sight.

"Why am I still alive?" Blake finally asked, tiredly. The question didn't seem to be directed at anyone.

Weiss responded anyway. "I've asked myself that more than once lately. I think Rose would say it's something to do with seeing the future, that we're important." Weiss conjured a small white glyph in her hand. "I can't speak for her, but I helped you because I saw another girl suffering the same way I had, the same way I am."

Blake's eyes widened again as she realized where the glyphs that had saved her life had come from. She turned her head away, and for the first time she looked ashamed.

"Sorry," she choked out.

Weiss stared at her for a long moment. Then she blinked rapidly and turned away as well. She looked over at Rose. The huntress hadn't stirred at all, having slept right through the whole exchange.

It was silent from then on.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** So, we've got a couple chapters of (mostly) plot and character development coming up. I enjoy and appreciate those things as much or more than action, I just find that they take more effort to write—you need to really tap into the emotions and convey them to the reader. Action, for me, just comes and flows naturally and barely takes any effort at all. It's really just describing images in my head. Weiss and Blake are a pleasure to write about though. It's as Shakespeare wrote: "Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows." I'm actually a little disappointed that the rest of the plot has to get in the way of these two monopolizing all the screen time.

**Beta:** N/A

* * *

Ozpin stroked his chin as he reviewed the latest intelligence report passed on by Ironwood. It contained only the bare minimum of classified information, a sure sign that James was in a bad mood, but what details it did have painted a very interesting picture indeed.

As far as the public was concerned, the Schnee Manor massacre was the result of an unprecedented and freak Grimm incursion. No other details had been announced. The Atlas news cycle had already moved on to discussing Winter Schnee's retirement from the military and her bid for control of the SDC, allegedly approved by her sister, who had gone into hiding abroad for her own safety. That narrative had taken some of the pressure off of Ironwood for the time being, and the General in turn had taken his airship back to international waters to regroup.

Ironwood's report confirmed that Weiss now appeared to be traveling with Rose willingly. Willing or not, his failure to recover the girl came as a surprise to Ozpin. Ozpin had a healthy respect for Atlas' Specialists, particularly the Ace-Ops, and he would not have favored his own odds against the whole team at once. That this Rose woman had managed to overcome them placed her among the ranks of the most dangerous huntsmen on Remnant.

Ozpin winced as he read the after action report. Rapier wasps. Gods. That was just wrong.

Then there was the reference to having seen the future. Ironwood had been cagey there, but it appeared that Rose had managed to convince both Schnee sisters that she possessed some form of precognition. Her accurate prediction of the Grimm's behavior lent credence to the claim. If there was any truth to it at all, then it was an ability that Ozpin absolutely had to control, if only to keep it out of Salem's hands. Not even the Relic of Knowledge could answer questions about the future. It was the kind of game changer that even wizardly immortals would fear and covet. In truth, Ironwood probably shouldn't have mentioned it at all until they could meet in person.

Now that the information existed on paper, Ozpin couldn't afford to assume that Salem wouldn't find out. Something had to be done and done quickly. With Atlas licking its wounds the responsibility fell to Beacon to take action. Rose, whoever she was, had to be brought in at all costs. The only question was which piece to move.

Qrow was the obvious choice, and under normal circumstances Ozpin wouldn't have thought twice about dispatching him. However, sending the younger Branwen out to confront a woman who clearly had a connection to Summer Rose seemed like asking for trouble. Informing him and Taiyang about Rose was similarly problematic. Ozpin knew better than to trust either of the erstwhile Team STRQ members not to go completely rogue if they knew, and the last thing Remnant needed right now was huntsmen of their caliber out on a personal crusade for their own agendas.

On the other hand, there was no denying that Qrow was one of the best huntsmen of his generation, crafty and cutthroat, exactly the kind of warrior one could count on to go up against this Rose and prevail. Did Ozpin have any better options?

He pondered that for long minutes, considering every possibility before him. Finally Ozpin made up his mind. With a heavy sigh, he reached over to his console and dialed a number.

* * *

"Believe it or not, a couple councilors are suggesting now that I've orchestrated this entire ordeal and that my case amounts to a corporate coup d'état."

"Well that's perfectly ridiculous." Weiss frowned at her scroll. "I've already recorded my testimony and digitally signed the documents. I can hardly have been coerced when my supposed captor has been drooling onto a rock for the past ten hours."

Rose snored lightly in the background.

"The allegations aren't in good faith, of course," Winter sounded amused for some reason. "These are just some of General Ironwood's old rivals who are afraid that I'll turn the SDC into another arm of the military."

"Politics," Weiss said distastefully. "I know that you will succeed, Winter. Thank you for doing this for me. I'll contact you again as soon as we've moved."

"I love you."

Wiess felt her face heat up. "Love you too."

Those words were starting to feel more natural now, as Weiss adjusted to the idea that her father would never again punish her for a display of emotion or sentiment. Still, there was a part of her that would probably always be embarrassed to say them.

Weiss put down her scroll to find Blake staring at her intently from across the fire with those unsettling golden eyes. Rude. Weiss opened her mouth to say as much, but then thought better of it. If they were going to be forced to travel together then Weiss might as well try to be pleasant about it, even if the faunus had no intention of reciprocating.

It had been a while since Weiss had eaten and she imagined the same was true for the others as well. Weiss had intended to wait for Rose, but the huntress was still sleeping off the rigors of the past days. Weiss decided to take the liberty of preparing another couple meals from the military rations. It wasn't something she'd ever done before, admittedly, but the design was intuitive and the instructions were clear. Instead of using the dust-based heaters she boiled the packaged main courses over the fire to warm them, and then used the water for more instant coffee.

Blake looked genuinely surprised when Weiss approached and gave her one of the meals. Weiss was vaguely irritated by that. Did the faunus think Weiss incapable of basic courtesy?

The two of them ate in silence. Neither girl seemed to have an eager appetite, but they were hungry enough to eat for fuel. The rations Weiss had picked out this time included canned sardines in oil, which she noticed were the only part that Blake ate with any enthusiasm. Not being fond of them herself, Weiss reached out and offered the faunus her tin of sardines. Blake stared at the gift as though it was a live grenade.

"What are you playing at?" Blake asked suspiciously.

"I'm trying to offer you my sardines, and failing, apparently. You seemed to enjoy yours well enough," Weiss snapped, finally losing her patience. "Do you truly hate me that much? Is a Schnee so repulsive to you that you don't want to eat anything I've touched?"

Blake looked shocked by her words. "No, it's not that. It's just, the SDC barely feeds its own workers. I know faunus who nearly starved in the mines. Why would you share with me?"

Weiss stared. "It's only been my company for two days, and as you've no doubt realized, I haven't exactly had a chance to run it! My father didn't take me around to the mines as a child so that I could pluck food from the mouths of hungry faunus. What kind of monster do you think I am?"

Blake frowned and looked away at that. Her silence spoke volumes, and Weiss felt a cold feeling settle in her stomach. Anger and something else. She threw the tin of sardines at Blake, letting it bounce off the girl's aura and into her lap.

"Fine. Fine," Weiss seethed. "I'll show you. I'll show everyone. I'll make the SDC my own, I'll turn it into a company that the world respects. I don't know what the miners are being fed today but I'll do right by all my employees. If they're not getting enough, I'll have Winter make sure that changes!"

Blake's head snapped around to stare at her again. Her yellow gaze was searching now, intense.

"Do you really mean that?"

Weiss furrowed her brow. "Of course I mean it. Why wouldn't I?"

Blake continued to stare at her silently for a while. Then, still without saying a word, she opened the tin of sardines in her lap and began to eat them.

Weiss shook her head. The faunus girl was simply impossible to understand. Mercifully, she was spared further awkwardness as a loud yawn announced that their protector had finally slept long enough. She turned around to find Rose groping blindly around the ground, her hood covering her eyes. Her hand fell upon Weiss' pouch of coffee and she began chugging it noisily. She belched when she was done and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. Weiss' eyes narrowed. Only human, indeed.

"I had the weirdest dream," Rose mumbled. Then she paused as she caught sight of Weiss and Blake. "Wait, no, that happened. Wow. Okay."

"You look terrible," Weiss criticized. "Are you alright?"

Rose plopped back down onto the ground, spread-eagled. "Five more minutes, Weiss."

"You can't be serious! You need to get up, Miss Rose. Think of the example you're setting for us! This could be life or death! And you promised me you'd explain to us what's going on. Are you just going to put that off again if the Grimm turns up while you're napping?"

"I'm up! I'm up!"

In no time at all Rose was chewing her ration while sitting on a log in front of the fire, her posture looking much more like the professional huntress that Weiss had entrusted with her life. Weiss and Blake sat on either side of her. This was a talk that Weiss had been looking forward to ever since her first conversation with Rose on the bullhead, and that urgency had only intensified when Rose mentioned seeing the future to her and Winter. Blake, for her part, hadn't said anything, but Weiss could see interest flickering in her eyes.

Rose rubbed the side of her hooded head and then jabbed her plastic fork at them.

"Alright, so, I need you two to understand that there are some things, particularly about myself, that I can't tell anyone. I just can't risk Salem finding out. Right now the only way she can find out is from me, and that will never happen. If I tell you, well, that becomes a risk to the whole world."

Weiss opened her mouth to speak but Rose waved her off.

"Right, right, I know, you don't know who Salem is yet. I'll get there. Sorry. Lots of ground to cover here. Look, the other thing you to keep in mind is that if I tell you too much about what needs to happen, it might not happen. People who are way smarter than me warned me about this. I've seen one possible future where things turn out alright, and we want the timeline to stick as closely to that as we can get it. Now, I might've messed up, and things are already going a little different, but you two are safe and that's what really matters! We can still get the major points right. I think."

"You're rambling," Blake muttered.

"Thank you Blake. Yes, okay." Rose took a deep breath. "I'm not good at this. I'm not good at this. Let me just try to make it simple. You two, Weiss and Blake, plus two super awesome sisters you haven't met yet, Yang and Ruby, are going to save Remnant. Together. I've seen this. It all starts about a year from now at Beacon Academy…"

* * *

Blake listened silently as the woman in the white cloak, Rose, told them about her vision. It was a wild tale of both past and future, of magic and maidens and relics. Rose claimed she knew the origin of the Grimm; an ancient evil queen who was finally, after eons, destined to be defeated in their lifetime.

It was a story worthy of the cheapest fantasy novels in Blake's collection.

And Blake was one of its heroes, apparently.

For all that she loved to read about heroes and heroines, it had been a long time since Blake had thought of herself as one. Her experiences with the White Fang had jaded her. Somewhere along the way their actions stopped feeling righteous and more like an endless string of compromises; doing bad things or looking the other way, all so that they could stop worse things from happening. All for the cause.

She felt stained by their methods, but she still believed in the cause, the cause of the White Fang. She had to. Otherwise so many of her comrades would've died for nothing.

"The Grimm is like, an ultimate weapon. It knows that the four of you are key to defeating its creator," Rose concluded. "Its only purpose is to kill you and the others before you ever get the chance. That's all it cares about."

"You mentioned that it was created by this Salem," Weiss noted. "Does that mean she knows about us then? Is she going to send more of her agents after us?"

Rose shook her head. "She doesn't know, and we should really hope it stays that way. Only the Grimm itself has seen what I've seen, and I don't think it can talk to her. We're in big trouble if it can."

Blake had different concerns. All of this talk about magic and visions felt too abstract to be real, too far from her thoughts, at a time when her heart had been left behind in the burning ruins of the camp.

"You barely mentioned the White Fang," Blake said quietly. "You didn't give a lot of details about what happens after we supposedly become a huntsmen team. Why would I enroll at Beacon in the first place? Did the White Fang send me there as a spy?"

Rose shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know if you're ready to hear that part yet."

"Try me."

"You might've quit the White Fang and run off to Beacon for a fresh start?"

Blake shook her head. "I don't believe you."

"The White Fang got pretty bad, Blake. They hurt a lot of people. They hurt you! C'mon, you must've had some doubts by now."

"Adam wouldn't have let it get that far," Blake insisted. "I can manage Adam. He listens to me. I would've talked him around rather than leaving. I don't know what you think you've seen, but you don't know me."

Rose fell silent, her head bowed. There was a definite sadness about her now. Weiss watched their interaction with concern in her eyes.

"I believe you've seen the future," Weiss said softly. "But you said yourself that it was only one possible future. However close we get to it now, it won't be ours, not exactly. I won't be the same Weiss you've seen. Blake won't be the same Blake. It's not fair to expect us to be these people when they've lived different lives."

Blake glanced at the Schnee, almost grateful for someone else who understood. Weiss hadn't been what she'd expected. As a member of the White Fang, prisoner or no, Blake honestly thought she would be treated like an animal. She'd prepared herself for it, especially after her failed attempt to threaten the other girl. To her surprise Weiss hadn't tried to lord it over her, hadn't displayed any casual cruelty or racism, and had in fact been frustratingly normal. As normal as anyone could reasonably be under the circumstances.

"I'm sorry," Rose said. "You're right. I got really fond of those girls I saw in my vision, you know, and I guess I haven't gotten used to the idea that you're not them. This was a lot to drop on you. I probably said too much. It wasn't right or fair of me. It's just that I worked with someone once who kept a lot of secrets because he thought it was for our own good. Nobody was happy when it all came out. Part of me never really forgave him for it either. I didn't want to do the same thing to you. Did I mess up again?"

Weiss shook her head. "You've told us what we need to know to survive. Salem. Headmaster Ozpin. The Maidens. The Relics. Why that Grimm wants us dead. The rest doesn't really matter until we've stopped it, does it?"

"Guess not," Rose admitted.

"Then we should stay focused and keep moving. We've stayed in one place long enough."

Rose turned towards Blake.

"The Blake you described still doesn't sound like me," Blake muttered.

Rose tilted her head. Without warning she stepped forward and enveloped Blake in a warm hug. Blake let out a surprised gasp as the air was squeezed from her lungs.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I was better about this with Weiss because I knew how much she would be hurting. I didn't think about it with you and the White Fang. That was stupid of me. I'll need to learn not to assume things when so much has changed. Forgive me?"

Blake mumbled something into Rose's chest. Not even she was sure what it was, but Rose seemed to take it as an affirmative, and hugged her even tighter. It wasn't unpleasant. Blake almost told herself it was fraternizing with the enemy before she caught herself and realized that Rose really wasn't her enemy. The huntress had never done anything to her.

And neither had Weiss, Blake admitted, glancing sideways at the Schnee again. At least not as an individual. That traitorous idea opened up a whole can of worms that Blake didn't want to think too hard about right now.

"I won't be able to travel fast on this leg," Blake pointed out when she was given finally a chance to breathe again. "Even with aura it won't be better overnight."

"We'll take it as slow as we dare," Rose replied. "I'll help you. Same way we got here."

"I lost Gambol Shroud in the chase. I can't defend myself without a weapon. Even a Beowulf could kill me as I am now."

Rose hesitated. Then she strode over to the duffel bags and began rummaging around in one of them. She retrieved something and returned to present it to Blake. Blake's breath caught in her throat when she saw what the huntress held. A familiar sword in a familiar sheath.

"I found these back at the camp when we went there to pick up your trail. I didn't think you would want them, but now I think that was me assuming things again."

Wilt and Blush. Adam's weapons.

Blake reached out to take them with trembling fingers. She blinked tears from her eyes as she remembered the last time she had seen them, and the last words Adam had ever tried to speak.

"Thank you," Blake rasped.

Rose patted her on the back. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Weiss watching the proceedings with a conflicted expression.

"I don't know how much of your story I believe." Blake strapped the sword and sheath to her hip. "The Schnee is right though. All that matters for now is stopping that Grimm. I'll come with you, I'll save others from it, and when the time comes I'll help kill it. That's enough for me."

It was a reason to keep going, and a reason that felt right a time when nothing else did.

Rose and Weiss both nodded and seemed to approve. Blake liked to think that Adam would have as well.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** I'm really glad that readers are enjoying the characters and how they've been changed by the circumstances. Exploring those differences (and their chemistry) is a large part of why I'm enjoying writing this story. Anyway, we're coming up on a part that I've been wanting to write for a long time now. The last major events before Patch. The end of the Patch arc will be a major milestone, like a Volume 1 thing or halfway point maybe. I might take a break at that point. But I think it's going to be dope.

**Beta:** N/A

* * *

The shattered moon hung bright in the sky.

In the woods of Forever Fall a lone Ursa trudged along a riverbank. It walked with uniform steps, a lumbering gait, its feet aimlessly taking it nowhere. It was a construct. A mockery of life. It drew no breath and thought no thoughts. In the absence of prey, it had no purpose.

There was a rustling from the bushes. The Ursa sensed no negativity, no emotion, but it registered sound. A possible sign of prey. It paused. It turned.

A tentacle lashed out from the darkness and embedded itself in the Ursa's chest.

The Ursa moved to roar but stopped abruptly. Motionless, like a statue. Its red eyes flickered and went dark. A familiar power pulsed through the tentacle and into the frozen construct. The same power that birthed it. The only power that could command it.

Red eyes flared back alight. The Ursa thought its first thought. It had been given a purpose.

Its feet dug into the mud as the Ursa turned and walked into the river. Within a few steps it sank to the bottom. It kept walking, fully submerged. It rose onto the banks on the other side. It continued with single minded purpose into the woods, never deviating once in its heading.

More footsteps stomped through the brush. Others with similar purpose.

The Ursa soon joined a column of other Grimm, falling into formation as they marched in unison. More Ursa, Beowolves, Boarbatusks and the occasional other variant. Nevermore flew silently overhead, their silhouettes dark against the moon.  
Some began fanning out through the forest. The rest continued west towards the shore.

* * *

"I don't like it," Rose declared.

Blake glanced over at the strange huntress as she unfurled her bedroll. It was well past dark and they had decided to make camp again. Rose was still fresh, but Blake's leg needed time to heal and Weiss desperately needed rest after keeping watch the last time. They already had a fire going.

"It's a perfectly good campsite," Blake said. And it was. A small clearing near a babbling brook. Blake wondered if there might be fish in there.

"Not that." Rose waved her hand. "I was expecting the Grimm to have found us by now. It's kinda freaking me out that it hasn't."

"You buried it under a lot of rock."

"It should've gotten free a while ago. We're the closest targets. So what's taking it so long?"

Blake frowned. "Isn't it a good thing that the unstoppable Grimm isn't attacking us?"

"You'd think so, except I really hope it hasn't moved on. Its other targets are on Patch. If it decides to race us there we're going to have a hard time keeping up." Rose fidgeted, then seemed to come to a decision. "I'm going to go scout ahead, see if I can pick up its trail. Keep watch, okay Blake? Weiss, I hope you're comfy over there!"

The Schnee mumbled something inaudible from her bedroll.

"Great! I'll be back in a few."

Rose disappeared then in her usual swirl of petals. Blake settled down on a nearby rock, searching for and finding a comfortable position to rest her leg in. Her eyes fell upon Weiss. The human girl was already asleep by the looks of it. She looked surprisingly vulnerable while unconscious, her delicate features betraying none of the fire or steel she had faced Blake with before.

No matter how their original confrontation had ended, it still felt surreal to Blake that Weiss Schnee was trusting her with her life like this. She traced a thumb over Wilt's hilt. It would be so easy. Most of the White Fang would've leaped at the opportunity. For a moment Blake imagined doing the deed, seeing Weiss' eyes fly open in shock and pain, staring at her with betrayal before closing forever.

It made her feel nauseous.

Weiss had made it infuriatingly difficult to hate her. Somehow Blake had already made the mental distinction between the girl and her company. Yes, Weiss might have benefited from cruelty against faunus, but it was true that she hadn't been given much choice in the matter. Weiss' anger when Blake challenged her about working conditions in the mines had been predictable, expected. What Blake had never expected was for Weiss to vow to do better.

It had been a long time since anyone in the White Fang kept any hope of voluntary reform from the leadership of the SDC. And that was what Weiss was now, wasn't she? Not just the heiress, promised the reigns unknowable years from now. It was her company already. If Weiss truly wanted things to change, then she had the power to do it. She had more power than anyone.

Did Blake dare to put faith in the girl she had threatened to kill?

The same girl who had saved her life.

A branch snapping in the woods drew Blake out of her reverie. The fire had burned down to embers, barely casting any light, but her faunus eyes saw perfectly well in the dark. Her cat ears twitched. It could be an animal, it could be nothing, but without Rose around Blake didn't want to take any chances. She sat up and slowly drew Wilt from her back.

There was a rumble of something charging, and then an Ursa burst into the far side of the clearing, where Weiss lay sleeping. Blake cursed. Weiss was instantly awake, but disoriented, in no position to react in time. Blake pushed off of one foot to leap over the fire, wincing in pain as she was forced to put weight on her bad leg. Standing over Weiss, she swung at the Ursa with Wilt, scoring a deep blow that bubbled and hissed from the heat of the dust infused blade.

It wasn't enough to kill it. The Ursa reared back, winding up for a punishing swipe with one paw. Blake wasn't sure she could dodge it with her bum ankle, and doing so would leave Weiss exposed anyway. She gritted her teeth, raised Wilt, and braced herself.

The impact rocked her world. It knocked the sword from her grip and made her aura flicker. A claw cut into the left side of her face. The sheer force of the blow sent her flying, her back slamming against a tree trunk. She could feel hot blood running down her face now, forcing her eye shut. Blake couldn't tell if the eye itself was damaged and didn't want to open it to find out. Instead she reached for Blush and raised the rifle, doing her best to aim with one eye.

Weiss was on her feet now with Myrtenaster in hand. A number of white glyphs sprang into existence around them, illuminating the clearing. Blake realized then that three Beowolves had joined the Ursa. Without hesitation Weiss sprang forward, dancing around the Ursa, stabbing it several times with her rapier. Her footwork was practiced and nimble, her every motion precise.

Already damaged from Wilt, the Ursa keeled over and began to dissipate. One of the Beowolves lunged at Weiss, but the Schnee bounced off of the nearest glyph, evading the attack and decapitating it in one smooth aerial motion. She landed in front of another Beowolf and began fencing with it head on. The other remaining Beowolf tried to attack Weiss from behind, but Blake hit it with a shot from Blush, drawing its attention.

Weiss impaled her foe on a great spike of ice. Meanwhile, the last Beowolf charged Blake as she sat prone at the base of the tree. Blake prepared to line up a headshot, but before she could pull the trigger, the pointy end of Myrtenaster burst from between its eyes. The Beowolf collapsed inches from Blake's feet. Weiss was leaning forward behind it with her arm outstretched. She had thrown Myrtenaster like a javelin.

Blake let the arm holding Blush drop and took a shuddering breath. Bizarrely, her first thought was a new sort of respect for Weiss. This wasn't some delicate princess. This was a girl who took combat seriously and had put in the work. Blake idly wondered if there was any timeline out there where they might've crossed blades for real. She wasn't even sure who would win that fight if they were both healthy.

"Blake!" Weiss cried. "Your face! Hold on, Rose had medical supplies in one of the bags."

Blake leaned her head back against the tree and waited, eyes closed, as Weiss searched frantically for the supplies. Weiss found them and knelt by Blake as she got to work. The blood was wiped away with a damp cloth, the wound sterilized and then sealed with gel. Her eye—

"I can see," Blake announced with dull relief. "I can see. It didn't get the eye."

Weiss nearly collapsed backwards, propping herself up with her arms.

"Thank Gods. There'll be some scarring for sure, I'm afraid, but we've avoided the worst."

Blake examined her lap. "We're even now."

Not quite, as Weiss hadn't held a knife to Blake's throat and threatened to kill her, but at least Blake could feel better about Weiss saving her from the Grimm.

Weiss laughed in disbelief. "Even? I'll gladly place myself in your debt." The Schnee offered her the smallest of smiles. "You bled for me. Thank you."

Blake didn't know what to say to that. So, she said nothing, and instead looked away.

"Blake! Weiss!"

A flurry of petals blew into the clearing. Rose stood before them, breathing heavily, leaning against her pole. Blake noticed that there were several new tears in her white cloak.

"Are you two alright?"

"We're fine," Blake said quickly, before Weiss could open her mouth. "What happened? Did you find the Grimm?"

Rose shook her head. "No. But all the other Grimm in the area are acting weird. They all went nuts when they saw me. It's like they're looking for us. It can't be a coincidence. I think it's doing something to them, something new. Controlling them."

Blake felt a shiver of fear, not just at the implications, but at the fact that this was something Rose hadn't known about. Rose was the closest thing they had to an expert on their situation, and if this caught her by surprise it meant that there could be more surprises in store.

"I think we need to get to Patch as soon as possible," Rose said. "But first, we need to take care of something I've been putting off since this all started. The pole thing isn't working out. I'm gonna need a proper melee weapon."

* * *

Weiss stood with her arms folded over her chest as she watched Rose set up a makeshift foundry in the clearing. Beside her, Blake also kept her eyes fixed on the woman in the white cloak. Rose looked like she knew what she was doing, but Weiss still felt very much on edge.

It was probably just a lingering effect from the battle. It had been quite the shock, to be awoken in the dark by sounds of combat and Grimm. Weiss had never actually fought a real, ordinary Grimm before. Her life had been as sheltered as her father could make it, and her opponents had all been human, robot, or summoned. Her training had kicked in nevertheless, and Weiss had thought she would feel some pride at having acquitted herself well in the fight. Instead there was only tension and confusion. She was rattled.

In those few terrifying moments after waking, Weiss hadn't even realized what was going on. Then she had seen Blake's aura flare as the faunus took that hit from the Ursa. A hit she'd had to have taken to protect Weiss.

Weiss hadn't expected that from Blake. As far as she had been able to tell, the White Fang member hated her, which after all was to be expected. Weiss wasn't so naïve that she didn't know what the Schnee brand meant to the average faunus.

Perhaps it was a sense of responsibility that led Blake to do it, having been entrusted with the watch? Or did she really feel that she owed Weiss and that this was somehow repayment? Again, not what she would have expected from someone in the White Fang. Weiss felt a little disappointed in herself for having prejudged Blake's character, even if it had been subconscious.

Weiss glanced at the ugly wound that Blake had taken on her behalf. At the very least it was good to know that she could trust the girl to have her back in a fight against the Grimm. Weiss silently vowed to herself that she'd do no less in return.

"Alright." Rose rolled up her sleeves. "Let's get this stuff melted down."

Rose had painstakingly collected the best metals from all the disassembled weapons and equipment. There were small blades, guards, even little bits like coils and bolts. Rose clearly had an exacting eye for the alloys she needed. These she poured into the makeshift foundry, which was powered by their entire remaining supply of fire dust. It burned an angry red as the metals were melted down.

A curved mold had been prepared from clay and sand. Rose poured the molten metal into it, where it quickly began to firm up. Rose broke the metal from its mold and laid it down on an oversized hammerhead repurposed as an anvil. She lifted a much smaller hammer in her hand. Red petals began to waft gently in the breeze as Rose activated her semblance. Her arms became a blur as her rapid blows shaped the metal.

Weiss turned to Blake. "Are you sure you'll be alright to travel?"

"Yes," Blake replied stoically. "It's a superficial wound now that we've stopped the bleeding. My leg is slowly healing up thanks to aura. It feels better than it did before we made camp."

"It sounds like Rose is going to be in a hurry. It'll do no one any good if you end up aggravating the injury. You ought to let us know if we push you too hard."

"I will."

Blake seemed keenly interested in the next part, as Rose had borrowed Wilt for it. With powerful, precise overhead strokes, Rose cut the hot metal into segments. Then she used a pair of tongs to dunk the newly forged and separated blade into a bucket of water. The water hissed and boiled on contact.

Rose sharpened the edges and laid the result out on the ground. They could see now that it was a scythe blade, segmented to accommodate a mechashift. She fitted the segments into their mechanical housing, already prepared, and then attached the whole assembly to the waiting notch on her pole.

At last Rose stood before Weiss and Blake with her weapon fully completed. The scythe was a large and wicked looking thing in mostly unpainted metal; it _looked_ like it had cannibalized parts from other weapons. With a press of a button she shifted it back into a sniper rifle, which now appeared thicker and sturdier. Another press restored the scythe. Rose sighed in satisfaction.

"This is only the second time I've built myself a weapon from scratch. When I was a kid I named the first like it was a member of my own family," she said fondly. "This one, I think I'll name for its purpose."

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "And what purpose is that?"

"Grimm Reaper."

Rose cheerfully twirled the scythe, her movements effortless yet so fast they were hard to follow. It was clear that this was a weapon she could wield like an extension of her own body.

"I've got one particular Grimm in mind, y'know," she added. "But this baby won't be picky."

* * *

"My scouts have finished with the White Fang camp. It's a total ruin. None of the survivors seem to know anything new, but we can confirm that Adam Taurus is dead. They found him in pieces. Fortunately, his head was available for identification." Ironwood almost smiled at that. "At least one good thing has come out of this whole mess."

Ozpin drummed his fingers patiently on his desk. Ironwood's update had contained little of interest to him so far. Aside from securing a promise that Atlas would expunge any records of Winter Schnee's last report, there was only one thing that Ozpin really cared about at the moment.

"What about Rose?" he asked. "Where is she going now?"

"No change there. Based on the tracks and the partial readings we've intercepted from Weiss' scroll conversations, they still seem to be heading for the coast."

"Good. That's good. Please let me know if anything does change on that front."

Ironwood glared. "What are you hiding now Ozpin?"

Ozpin raised a placating hand. "I assure you that on this matter, I remain as in the dark as you are. All I've done is taken my own steps to procure answers. I expect them to bear fruit soon."

"You think your huntsmen can bring her in? It hasn't been that easy."

Ozpin chuckled as he considered the oddity of James Ironwood urging him to be cautious.

"You needn't worry, James. I'm not taking any chances. I've sent the most powerful asset I have. Believe me, Rose will come to Beacon voluntarily or she will be compelled to come."

Ironwood looked skeptical. "The drunk?"

"No. Not Qrow." Ozpin gave him a meaningful look. "I agree that your Ace-Ops have already demonstrated that a conventional approach cannot be counted on here. That leaves only the unconventional."

Ironwood's eyes widened in surprise. Then they narrowed.

"Anyone can be caught off guard. Does she understand the kind of threat she's up against?"

"Oh, I believe she does."

* * *

Blake lifted her nose and caught a faint trace of salt in the air. The coast couldn't be far now.

It was a pale morning by the time they reached the edge of the forest. They had been fortunate and had only encountered a few more roving bands of Grimm; Rose had made short work of those, except for a handful deemed safe enough for Blake and Weiss to "practice" on.

Blake quickly realized that it would take time before she was comfortable using Wilt and Blush. Everything from the length of the blade to the recoil of the gun was different from Gambol Shroud, and she would need to retrain her muscle memory to compensate. Without her ribbon, she'd likely need to create a whole new fighting style for these weapons. It gave her something to focus on, something to plan for the future.

"As beautiful as Forever Fall is, I don't think I'm sorry to see the last of it," Weiss muttered.

Blake considered that. She knew what Weiss meant. She had gotten used to Forever Fall during her assignment in Vale with Adam, comfortable even. But there were too many memories there now, too much unpleasantness and pain. Blake doubted she'd ever return without good reason.

"Yeah," she agreed.

Their destination now was a small fishing village on the western coast of Sanus, from which they would be able to buy, hire, or steal a boat to Patch. With the trees thinning, there would only be open fields and actual roads between them and their destination. It felt good to think about the path ahead rather than dwell on what they'd be leaving behind. Things were looking up.

Rose stopped in her tracks. "Oh darn."

Blake turned sharply to see what had produced _that_ reaction. Standing in the fields in front of them, directly in their path, was another woman in a hooded cloak. This cloak was green. Blake could also make out gold armored boots, with brown leather pants, corset, and vest. The woman held a staff in a firm grip, which she had planted in the ground.

As they looked on, two points of flame ignited beneath the hood where the eyes would be.

Weiss swallowed. "Is that—?"

"Amber," Rose said grimly. "The Fall Maiden."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** After the Ace-Ops, I found myself wondering how to top them conceptually for the next standoff with the good guys. How do you escalate from there? What kind of opponent would bring something new that a whole team of Atlas' most elite huntsmen could not? Enter Amber. Now, I feel like they did Amber dirty in canon. She got totally ambushed and Emerald was using her Semblance to confuse her throughout the fight—I don't think her combat ability should be dismissed based on that. Personally, I'm of the opinion that any fight with a Maiden should capture the fear and awe of going up against the elements.

**Beta:** N/A

* * *

Weiss stared across the field at the entity before them. It was one thing to hear Rose speak of the Maidens; it was quite another to stand before one in person and realize that magic was real. The sheer presence of the woman left no doubt on that point. It felt like the air itself was crackling with power. Weiss could taste the tingle of it on the tip of her tongue. Those burning eyes swept over their small group before fixating on the huntress.

"You're the one called Rose."

Weiss had been expecting a deep, thunderous voice. Amber by contrast sounded perfectly normal, soft and almost kind except for the slight edge in her tone.

"That's my name," Rose replied with false cheer.

"Do those that travel with you do so willingly?"

Weiss took a deep breath. "I do. I have given legal testimony on the matter. You have no cause to impede our progress. All we want is safe passage to the nearest village."

Blake folded her arms and let her silence speak for itself. The faunus was tense, her muscles coiled for action. There was no question that if a fight broke out they would be involved one way or another.

"I'm afraid you'll have to take a detour," Amber said. "Headmaster Ozpin needs you to come to Beacon Academy. I'm to escort you there. You will be treated well, as guests."

Rose scratched her head. "What if I don't wanna?"

"I'm hoping that we can resolve this peacefully."

The way Amber's eyes burned a little brighter suggested she was expecting a different outcome. Nobody present seemed more optimistic. A strong wind began to blow, stirring the grass and the leaves.

"Sorry. We've got places to be and we can't afford to be late." Rose looked around. "So. Where are the others? Are they gonna show themselves or are we waiting for a dramatic entrance or something?"

Amber tilted her head. "Others?"

Rose gave a disbelieving snort. Then as the silence stretched on she seemed taken aback. Finally, bizarrely, she swelled with outrage.

"Wait, seriously?! Ozpin sent you out here to face us alone? Without backup? Why don't you have a team? Where are your friends?"

"I'm more than capable of looking after myself," Amber sounded offended.

"Oh, this explains so much. Do you have any idea what that attitude is going to set in motion? Do you have any idea what you're—" Rose caught herself and shook her head. "No, of course you don't."

Amber was unimpressed. "Are these your supposed visions of the future? For someone with such foresight, you sure seemed surprised to see me."

"It doesn't work that way. And I'm glad you came. You're going to learn an important lesson today." Rose pounded her palm with her fist. "Blake? Weiss? Let's kick some Maiden butt."

Weiss had understood very little of the exchange, and even now she had no clue how Rose could speak so brazenly. The pressure in the air had intensified, to the point where Weiss could swear it was harder to breathe. She glanced over at Blake. It wasn't a warm day but a bead of sweat was trickling down the faunus' brow. Their eyes met and Weiss saw her own fear mirrored there. Mustering her courage, Weiss freed Myrtenaster from its sheath. Blake held Wilt in one hand and Blush in the other.

"Don't be foolish," Amber warned. "If you know about the Maidens, then you know the power I have at my command."

Rose deployed Grimm Reaper into its scythe form. Alone among their group, she still seemed unaffected by Amber's presence.

"Won't be my first Fall Maiden," Rose muttered. "I guess some things never change."

In a blink, Rose shot forward across the field, only to be met instantly by a burst of fire that left the air full of burnt petals. Three similar blasts followed. Rose reappeared skidding backwards, one hand pressed against the ground to stop her slide. Her cloak was singed. The whole clash had happened so quickly that Weiss hadn't even been able to follow it.

Weiss flicked Myrtenaster and tried to conjure up spikes of ice, but the ice melted to steam faster than she could create it. Blake dashed forward, firing Blush. Amber remained focused on keeping Rose at bay with fire, not even stopping to look at Blake as she raised one hand towards her. The bullets were all repelled by bursts of condensed air. With a swing of her staff, Amber summoned a gale that swept Weiss and Blake off their feet and flung them towards Rose.

Amber ascended into the air then, her eyes radiant with power as the skies themselves darkened.

"I was told not to take any chances with you," she told Rose. "I apologize for this."

The winds roared with hurricane force, ripping trees from their roots in the woods they had just left behind. Amber directed the winds with her arms, sending the trees crashing down at Rose, digging deep furrows in the earth whenever they landed. Rose met the projectiles in the air, jumping from one to the other as she attempted to reach Amber.

Amber responded by peeling the leaves from the trees with wind, freezing them solid, and finally blowing them at Rose like thousands of tiny knives. The icy barrage intercepted Rose in midair, forcing her to twirl Grimm Reaper in her defense. Petals mixed with shattered leaves. Within moments all the leaves had been cut down, but the force of the attack had knocked Rose out of the sky.

"Schnee!" Blake called. "I need a path!"

Weiss looked over at the faunus, who was staring up at Amber with a frustrated scowl. Understanding immediately, Weiss waved Myrtenaster and conjured a series of glyphs in the air leading up to their adversary. Blake promptly made use of them. A moment later Rose joined her. Their black and red figures bounced off of the white glyphs as they struck at Amber. Weiss found herself using all of her concentration to maintain the glyphs and create new ones as her allies danced through the air.

Amber used everything to fend off Rose; gusts of wind, bolts of lightning, blasts of flame flew in every direction. Blake on the other hand was still an afterthought. The attention on Rose allowed Blake to reach her target, only for Amber to easily block Wilt with one end of her staff, knock Blake off-balance with the other, finally sending her plummeting with a powerful overhead strike. The split seconds that took gave Rose enough opening to land a fierce swipe with Grimm Reaper.

Weiss caught the falling Blake with a glyph before she could hit the ground. High in the air Amber cried out as the attack cut into her aura. There was a note of panic there, of shock. They had shown her that even at the height of her power she was not untouchable. It scared her.

It felt like nature itself responded. There was a flash of lightning, a clap of thunder, and the next thing they knew a massive cyclone was barreling through the area. Everything in its path was swept up into the vortex. Trees, fenceposts, debris of all kinds, even animals. Weiss couldn't help the scream that tore from her throat as she was lifted flailing into the air.

* * *

Blake held onto the log for dear life as the winds buffeted her to and fro; it felt like the only thing stopping her from spinning completely out of control in the heart of the cyclone. The howling in all four of her ears was deafening, the gale stinging at her eyes. The worst part was the utter helplessness. Blake was used to being in control of her movements, her natural agility and surefootedness allowing her to navigate any terrain. None of that helped when there was no terrain.

A wooden bucket slammed into Blake, bouncing off her aura. She ducked her head to narrowly avoid a shovel. She had no idea how far the cyclone had traveled; she couldn't have been in the air for long but it felt like an eternity. Her every instinct was screaming at her in terror. Looking to the side she caught a glimpse of Weiss twisting freely in the air. There was nothing Blake could do for her.

It still didn't all feel real to Blake. Ever since the attack on the White Fang camp, she had felt a little like she was wandering through a dream. This at least seemed to confirm one of the more absurd parts of Rose's story. Magical women who controlled the elements. Why did that have to be the part she experienced firsthand?

A flash of red caught Blake's eye. It looked something like a blob of petals, occasionally condensing into a human shape, bouncing off of flying objects as it navigated the cyclone. It pushed off of a wheelbarrow and grabbed Weiss. Then it drifted past a remarkably placid cow. Finally it shot towards Blake and scooped her up. Suddenly they were all falling together.

Rose was fully recognizable as herself now, hugging Weiss and Blake tightly to her chest. Blake could feel Rose twisting in the air to make sure her back was facing down. Shielding them with her body. Moments later they hit the ground, Rose's aura flaring as she took the impact.

"Ow," Rose said.

Blake was on her feet in an instant, helping the huntress up, and then Weiss. Looking around she could see that they had been blown onto some cliffs overlooking the ocean. The fishing village was visible in the distance. They were actually closer to their destination now. Closer, and yet so far.

There was movement in the air and Blake looked up to see Amber still floating above them. Rose aimed her sniper rifle at her, but the shots were deflected like all the others. The Fall Maiden raised her arm. A shadow fell over them. Blake spun around.

"You've got to be kidding."

A towering tsunami rose well above the cliffs as it rushed towards them. It was like the ocean was coming to swallow them up. Blake's mind froze at the sight, unable to process the sheer amount of water, the sheer amount of power that was being brought to bear against them. She could see Weiss staring with similar awe and despair. Rose, however, sprang into action, deploying her scythe again and spinning her whole body like a pinwheel. As a blur she launched into the air to meet the oncoming wave.

With a sound like thunder the tsunami split in two. Weiss and Blake shielded their faces with their arms from the resulting spray, moments before what was left of the wave crashed onto cliffs around them. Around them, but not directly onto them, for Rose had won them that much of a reprieve with her maneuver. The deluge was still nearly enough to bowl them off their feet.

Before the water could recede, it abruptly froze around them. Blake found herself encased from the waist down, sword arm also trapped by a curled crest of ice. Wilt was in its sheath where she couldn't reach it. Blake wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. This felt more like fighting a series of natural disasters than fighting a huntress.

A reddish orange glyph appeared before her. The ice began to crack and hiss, melting rapidly around it. The glyph exploded then, blasting away much of the ice that had imprisoned Blake. Weiss had freed herself and was scrambling over to her, looking rather frazzled. She began using Myrtenaster like an icepick to chip away at the ice holding Blake's arm.

Blake's teeth chattered. "Don't you have any more fire dust?"

"Rose used the rest of it to forge her scythe," Weiss reminded her.

"Then use Wilt. It's imbued with the stuff."

Weiss hesitated, but only for a moment. She pulled Wilt from where it was sheathed on Blake's back. Blake tried not to think about what Adam would say if he could see the head of the Schnee family using his sword to free her. It worked, at least. Blake quickly reclaimed Wilt as she shakily climbed out of her icy prison.

Rose had avoided the tsunami altogether, it appeared, and had been keeping Amber busy by drawing on her limited supply of exotic ammunition. Explosive rounds, and bullets Rose had crafted herself to penetrate or collapse aura. It took more than air to protect from those. Rose would get a shot off, then vanish in a swirl of petals before the retaliatory lightning could strike her.

In response Amber had summoned a smaller cyclone, drawing debris into the air, creating a swirling screen of objects around her that could absorb the bullets. The wind was still strong enough that it pulled them by their clothing; it felt like their feet might leave the ground again at any moment. It was an impasse of sorts, but that would only last as long as Rose's ammo did.

"How much do you have left?" Blake called.

Rose appeared beside them. "Almost out. But I got an idea. Weiss, you can do a speed glyph, right?"

Blake blinked in confusion. Wasn't Rose fast enough already? Nevertheless, Weiss nodded.

"Okay, we can do this!" Rose fired another distracting shot at Amber. "Blake, after Weiss puts her glyph down, I'm going to need you to boost me up. But first! I need to borrow your swords."

The two teenagers shared a glance as the wind whipped at their faces. There was no telling what Rose had in mind, but they understood that the situation was desperate. Neither of them was too proud to admit that Rose was more likely to save them with those weapons than they were. They each handed over their blades without argument.

Blake yelped in protest as Rose tossed Wilt into the air, then Myrtenaster, and finally Grimm Reaper as well. All three were swept up into the screen of detritus swirling around Amber.

"Weiss, speed please!"

As ordered, Weiss drew a vial of lightning dust from her pocket and conjured a golden glyph beneath Rose's feet. Blake recognized the same clock design that had enabled her escape from the Grimm. Rose seemed to vibrate in place, then she glowed and distorted in hues of red and gold as two speed Semblances interacted and combined. It looked like there were anywhere from one to five Roses standing there on the glyph. The humming of the vibrations was almost louder than the wind.

Realizing that something special was happening, Blake locked her hands together in front of her and crouched, prepared to play her part. The moment she felt pressure on her palms she heaved upwards with all of her strength.

A red gold streak shot upwards like a laser. It grabbed Grimm Reaper, appearing to swing straight through Amber in an instant. Apparently at the same time, it also retrieved Myrtenaster and made another cut, punctuated by a dust explosion. Wilt was not left out either, its blade trailing flames. Suddenly it seemed as though half a dozen Roses were in the air at once, slashing away with all three weapons.

Blake craned her neck and stared. Rose wasn't merely using the sharp edges, she realized. The huntress had a rotation going, pulling the triggers or using the dust effects from each weapon, giving them just enough time to cool down for the next strike as she juggled through them. The sky lit up like fireworks with dust effects and glowing afterimages. Through it all they could see Amber's battered silhouette taking what looked like a thousand cuts.

Finally the red gold streak zipped higher, directly above the Fall Maiden, before plummeting down to earth like a meteor. The ground seemed to shake at the impact. The unnatural winds calmed almost instantly. Rose emerged from the dust cloud, Grimm Reaper strapped to her back. Wilt and Myrtenaster landed behind her with their blades sinking into the ground. All around them petals fell gently, filling the air.

Blake and Weiss stood there in stunned amazement.

"You should probably restrain her." Rose pointed a thumb over her shoulder.

They rushed forward to find Amber trying and failing to rise from a small crater. Blake and Weiss glanced at each other and silently agreed not to cut any slack here. The Fall Maiden looked worse for wear as they each grabbed hold of one of her arms. They pressed down on her shoulders, forcing her to her knees, pinning her calves with their feet. Amber seemed disoriented, disbelieving, as if she didn't understand what had happened or that such a thing could happen to her at all.

Her eyes soon filled with terror as she saw Rose approaching with Grimm Reaper in hand.

"Please, don't…"

Rose rested the scythe behind Amber's neck, the blade prickling her bare skin, unprotected by aura. A single twitch would separate her head from her shoulders.

"I wonder," Rose said. "Since you don't need friends, would your last thoughts be of me?"

Amber trembled. Blake shifted uncomfortably. This wasn't anything like what she had come to expect from Rose. Looking at Weiss she could see similar concern on the Schnee's face.

"It won't work," Amber rasped. "I'll think of anyone else. You can't know it'll work."

"Bet you Salem could think of something. What if I was working for her? What if I felt like dragging you off to the Grimmlands? It's not like you could stop me."

A tear ran down Amber's cheek. The Fall Maiden shook her head desperately.

Rose withdrew her scythe. "Fortunately, I'm not after your powers. I never wanted them. But you should think about what just happened and what could've happened. It won't be any harder for Salem and her agents. You're not safe out here on your own. Run back to Ozpin, and if you care about the children of Remnant, make sure he doesn't let you out of his sight."

Blake let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as Rose turned and started walking away. Weiss looked similarly relieved. They released Amber, allowing the Fall Maiden to fall onto her hands and knees, her eyes wide and haunted.

"Was all of that really necessary?" Weiss asked as they caught up to Rose.

"I might've been a little mad at her," Rose admitted. "And maybe it wasn't all fair. But it was a lesson she was going to learn sooner or later, and better it came from me."

Blake shrugged. "Sometimes we have to do things we're not proud of."

Rose seemed to cringe at that. She bowed her head, as if deep in thought. Then she shook it and looked straight ahead.

"Come on. It's past time that we got to Patch."

* * *

On an empty beach, far from human habitation, the Grimm gathered. They covered the ground like a black curtain drawn over the sands. Dozens of them, hundreds of them. Former denizens of Forever Fall. Those that could fly had already taken to the air; they would make the journey in staggered groups so as to avoid drawing attention.

For a while the Grimm were motionless, their red eyes staring ahead in unblinking unison.

Then a single Ursa stepped into the surf. Testing the waters. Its legs sank into the sand as it walked steadily forward. Soon it disappeared beneath the waves entirely, not a trace visible from the surface.

As one, the others began to follow.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Here we go. Patch. It took me a while to organize all my thoughts on this arc into a coherent outline. There are going to be a lot of different moving parts here, more than ever before, because of the larger cast of characters. Everyone has a meaningful role to play. I'm pretty pleased with what I've come up with.

Incidentally I was surprised to discover just how little canon material exists about Patch. I'm happy to fill in the blanks—it can't just be Signal by itself after all. Still, I expected more official information than there is.

Anyway, I have this whole arc planned out. As I've mentioned before, Patch is definitely going to end a "phase" of this story. I think it's likely that I'll put the story on hold at that point. But I hope to deliver a climax that will satisfy readers and make everyone feel that reading it has been worthwhile. In a way, this is the beginning of an end.

**Beta:** BuffetAnarchist, Scistorm

* * *

The largest human settlement on the island of Patch was a quaint harbor town. Its geographic location made it important to international trade, as boats from Atlas and Mistral could conveniently resupply there on the way to Vacuo or for long return journeys. It was the sort of place where many people passed through, but few could call themselves natives. Those that did make it their home tended to find work supporting the shipping industry, or else fishing or engaging in trade themselves.

Rose had clearly known her way around from the moment they had hopped off of their rented fishing boat. The huntress had brought Weiss and Blake to the main thoroughfare, handed them each a scroll, and then dashed off.

"I need to handle the next part myself," Rose had said. "Stay here and blend in. Try not to draw attention, look after each other, and call me if you run into any trouble!"

Weiss imagined there had to be a better strategy than leaving her and Blake to fend for themselves, but in fairness they were sure to slow Rose down, and it would be challenging to protect three or more of them at the same time. And so, with a resigned huff, Weiss had dragged Blake into the nearest clothing shop to look for anything that might make herself less recognizable.

The shop was a modest establishment, and although it carried items from all over Remnant, the displays emphasized locally spun fabrics. Weiss found it quite unlike the boutiques she was accustomed to in Atlas. The novelty kept her browsing far longer than she might otherwise have done.

"Do you think this looks too rustic?" Weiss asked Blake as she tried on a straw hat with a blue decorative band. "I'm worried it might fall short of convincing."

Blake, who had no need to disguise herself, was standing nearby with a watchful eye on the door. The faunus seemed relaxed, but Weiss could tell she was ready to draw Wilt and Blush at a moment's notice. Blake glanced her way and blinked once before resuming her vigil.

"Looks like a princess on vacation," Blake said. "You'll be fine."

Weiss made a noncommittal noise in her throat. Nevertheless, she bought the hat, along with a translucent white shawl to tie over her head, as well as blue tinted sunglasses. The ensemble would serve her needs and looked rather nice, if she said so herself.

It seemed to work as they returned to the streets. Nobody gave Weiss a second thought, let alone recognized her as a famous singer and former heiress. If anything, it was Blake who was getting unwanted attention as passersby gawked at her recent facial wound.

"Aren't you bothered by that?" Weiss muttered. "It's so rude of them to stare. Shameless."

Blake shrugged. "I'm a faunus. I'm used to getting uncomfortable looks. At least here they're mostly staring at my face and not my ears. It's almost refreshing."

Weiss shut her mouth and felt embarrassed. It hadn't even occurred to her that faunus might be accustomed to such treatment, and that in turn made her realize how little she really knew about them and about Blake. It made her afraid of blundering into some other unintentional offense.

Blake seemed to sense her discomfort. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing. Really."

"I apologize for bringing up such a sensitive subject. It was thoughtless of me."

"Don't be so formal, Schnee. I like you better when you speak your mind."

"Then tell me honestly. Are you alright?"

"No," Blake admitted. "But neither are you. We're coping. I'm not really sure how to process it. Yesterday we fought a woman with magical powers."

"I remember. She threw the ocean at us."

"She froze us in it too. I don't think we would've won that fight if you hadn't been around."

Weiss shook her head. "Don't sell yourself short. With everything about that matchup stacked against you, you still found a way to contribute meaningfully. It was impressive."

They passed by a little stand where a man was grilling fresh fish on skewers. He controlled the heat of the coals with a little paper fan. The smell was divine. Weiss purchased two skewers and handed one to Blake. Her lip curled upwards as Blake bit into the fish and shivered with pleasure.

The world seemed just a little bit less dark as they ate and continued to wander the streets. It was the first time since their whole ordeal began that they had been back in civilization. Weiss felt a tinge of the surreal as they walked amidst ordinary people who seemed to have not a care in the world.

"Strange to think that life just goes on for the rest of Remnant, isn't it?" Blake said.

Weiss nodded. "Strange to think that I was like that not too long ago."

"Everything was nice and simple back then," Blake agreed. "Schnees were bad, the White Fang was the best hope for faunus equality, magic was a fairytale, and nothing I did ever seemed to matter. Next thing I know, the White Fang in Vale are wiped out, Grimm are hunting me because I'm important in the future, and I'm dodging tornadoes alongside Weiss Schnee."

"There's a lot to take in," Weiss admitted. "Even with Winter looking after things, it'll still be strange to think of myself as the head of the SDC. I always dreamed I would inherit it one day and turn it into a company to be proud of. I never imagined it would be so soon, never prepared clear plans about how I would achieve anything. I don't think I'm ready."

"Ready or not, this is what we've been given."

They paused as they reached the town square. In the center there was a decorative fountain surrounded by public benches and cafés. Young children were laughing and shouting as they chased each other and played. There were human and faunus children alike. Weiss watched as a human girl helped up a boy with curled horns who had fallen. They were both smiling. Innocence.

Blake smiled too. "This place isn't so bad."

"It certainly has its charms," Weiss agreed.

"I'm thirsty. Café?"

"Let's."

It was a pleasant surprise how much they were on the same wavelength, Weiss thought. For a White Fang terrorist, Blake had a dignified air about her, enough that but for her ears she wouldn't have seemed out of place in Atlesian high society. It made Weiss wonder about Blake's upbringing. Among their little group it was Rose, despite her age and her skills, who had that childish knack for drawing out Weiss' fire. Blake, in contrast, with her reserved demeanor, had a calming effect—as long as they weren't in combat and had an opportunity to talk like civilized people.

They had that chance now. A hostess at one of the cafés in the square showed them politely to a table. Weiss ordered an espresso, which she sipped at daintily. Blake had a glass of milk. Weiss glanced at Blake's ears, wondering what it was like to hear with them, realizing again how little she really knew. She caught herself before she could become guilty of staring like the people she had herself condemned. Blake wasn't some zoo exhibit to be gawked at.

Weiss cleared her throat. "There was something I wanted to ask you."

"Go ahead," Blake replied.

"I want to learn more about the faunus. After all, they now comprise the majority of my workforce."

Blake tilted her head slightly. "How do you think faunus are different?"

"W-well that's what I don't know, isn't it? That's why I'm asking."

Blake hummed and rested her head against her knuckles, propped up against their table. Her eyes were sharp and focused on Weiss, although it seemed more like she was organizing her thoughts rather than evaluating Weiss herself. Finally, she spoke.

"Faunus aren't any different from humans when it comes to what matters. We have the same wants, needs, desires. We can unlock aura, we have souls. When you cut us we bleed the same blood." Blake traced a finger down her facial wound. "At the end of the day, most faunus just want to be treated the same. We want the same rights. We want the same pay. We want the same working conditions. We want our dignity, Schnee. Can you give us that?"

Put like that, it was an eminently fair request. And yet, a staggering one. Weiss placed her cup back in its saucer as she felt some of the weight of the responsibility she had inherited.

"I would like to try," Weiss whispered. "But I don't know if I can do it alone."

"You don't have to do it alone."

Weiss looked at Blake searchingly. "I know we haven't spoken about this, so please correct me if I'm wrong. But you still consider yourself loyal to the White Fang, do you not?"

Blake reached into her pack and produced her White Fang mask. It was one of the few belongings she had managed to keep throughout their ordeal. She hadn't worn it since her arrival in their camp. The faunus turned it over in her hands.

"The White Fang was a peaceful movement once," Blake mused. "It changed with the times. Maybe it can change again."

"I'm not sure it'll be so easy as that."

"It'll be no harder than reforming an institution like the SDC."

"Touché." Weiss inclined her head. "We're really going to do this then? Assuming we survive."

"When we last tried peace we failed because we lost hope. Because we didn't have any partners on the other side, only adversaries. You've given me hope, Schnee."

Weiss smiled and extended her hand. "Partners?"

Blake shook it.

"Partners."

* * *

In another part of town, a gaggle of schoolgirls were chattering as they exited a movie theater. They were loud and energetic enough that no observer would've had a hope of overhearing anything coherent. At the center of attention was a tall girl with brilliant yellow hair and a wide grin. She seemed to have time for everyone, leaving no one left out. Finally, she swung herself onto a sleek motorcycle that matched her hair. The other girls gathered and waved.

"Catch you later Yang!"

"We'll see you tomorrow!"

Yang waved back. "Stay cool you guys!"

The ride home was a pleasant blur as the paved streets of the town gave way to dirt paths. There was something about the sense of power, the live metal beneath her, the wind in her face, that deeply appealed to Yang. Her mind cleared of thoughts as she simply felt and reacted. All too soon she had reached the family cabin out in the woods of Patch. With reluctance, she stepped off of Bumblebee and wheeled it into the shed. Maybe she would go for another ride later.

Yang called out as she entered the house. "Hello! Anyone home?"

In response a tricolor corgi barked and scampered into view. Yang bent down to greet the little dog as he lunged into her arms and began licking her face.

"Hey Zwei!" Yang laughed. "At least someone's glad to see me. There's a good boy. Are you hungry?"

Zwei yipped in response. Yang wandered over to the pantry and retrieved a bag of dog food. Zwei hopped up and down excitedly as she filled his bowl. She patted him on the head affectionately as he tucked in. Noticing a note left on the dining table in the kitchen, Yang walked over and picked it up.

It was a scrawled message with messy handwriting and little doodles of hearts. Ruby had gone to visit Summer's grave again it seemed. Yang couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern about that, even though she knew that Ruby could take care of herself. With a big sisterly sigh, she folded the letter and put it in her pocket. Her father was busy at Signal with end of term stuff and there was no telling when he'd be back. It looked like she'd be on her own for the time being.

There was only one thing to do then. Yang opened the freezer. Her spirits soared as she found the ice cream right next to the cookie dough.

"Jackpot."

Moments later she held a bowl of frozen bliss as she entered the living room. She plopped down onto the couch and turned on the TV. Yang was pleased to find that one of her favorite shows was on.

Today was shaping up to be pretty awesome.

* * *

Qrow dashed through the forest as fast as he could while still holding his scroll where he could glare at the old man on the screen. He didn't bother with roads or paths, cutting right through the wilderness and bouncing off of tree branches where he had to.

"This better be a joke Oz. How is this the first I'm hearing of this?"

"Up until this morning I believed that the situation was under control. When Amber failed to check in on schedule, I took immediate action to investigate."

Qrow cursed. "You better not be saying what I think you're—"

"Relax. Amber is alive and accounted for, although roughed up and rather frightened. She lost her scroll in the battle. Her attacker was content to subdue her, although she made some alarming threats."

"More alarming than subduing a Maiden?!"

"She knows about Salem, Qrow. She knows far too much." Ozpin's voice and expression were grim. "Look out for a white cloak. If you encounter her, do not underestimate her. In addition to overcoming Amber, she also singlehandedly took down Atlas' entire Ace-Ops team during a confrontation in Forever Fall."

"The Ace-Ops," Qrow repeated. "A monster like that is coming to Patch?"

"We don't know for sure, but I fear that may be the case. As far as we can tell she hired a boat after defeating Amber. Their last known heading places her on course for Patch."

Qrow gritted his teeth and pushed himself to go faster. This was the last place he would have expected to face that level of adversary. It felt like a violation. Patch was supposed to be safe, especially for Yang and Ruby. Yes, there were Grimm on the island, but never anything that the girls couldn't handle at their age. Now suddenly there was a threat he wasn't sure _he_ could handle.

"Why?" Qrow demanded. "Why Patch? What could she possibly want here?"

Ozpin hesitated. "I have a hunch. There's more I need to tell you, Qrow. For starters, I believe it might be prudent to check in on young Ruby and—"

Qrow had heard enough. He ended the call and in an instant had shifted to his bird form.

Black feathers floated through the air as he soared over the treetops.

* * *

Silver eyes met red eyes as the two adversaries faced off.

A twitch of black limbs. A swing of a scythe. A cloak swishing through the air.

Ruby landed behind her defeated foe, panting slightly as the Beowulf dissolved into nothing. She had no time to rest as another Nevermore dived. She shifted Crescent Rose back into rifle form, shooting the flying Grimm out of the sky before it could reach her.

"So many today," Ruby muttered tiredly.

Indeed, the Grimm in the cliffside forest had been present in larger numbers than usual, always traveling in packs. It was like something had them all riled up today. It was enough to make Ruby's arms tired from all the swinging and her legs hurt from all the running and jumping. That hadn't ever happened since dad and uncle Qrow had started letting her make these trips alone.

Ruby grimaced. Nobody could find out about this. Yang would worry too much, her dad would tell her she couldn't go out alone anymore, and everyone would think that she couldn't handle a few measly Grimm by herself. No. She had to be strong.

With that thought driving her, she pressed on through the forest. More red eyes greeted her. For the first time she felt a twinge of fear. Deciding that she had no time to fight them all, she engaged her Semblance and dashed ahead. That worked for a while, until she spotted a tree in her path too late to decelerate. Ruby slammed into its trunk headfirst. She whimpered as she sat sprawled on the ground, rubbing her new bump.

"No big deal," Ruby mumbled. "I'm a big girl. I can take it."

Ruby looked around. At least she seemed to have shaken the Grimm for now. She was getting close to her destination. Turning back was out of the question, not that it had ever been in the question in the first place. She had to get there. She had to. She'd promised her mom that she'd visit today and no amount of stupid Grimm were going to stop her.

And so Ruby trudged onwards, her red cloak pulled tight around her like an embrace.

Finally the trees thinned and Ruby could see the cliff where her mother's grave rested. A cry of relief escaped her lips. She ran forward, only to halt abruptly, staring ahead. She had visited this place a hundred times before. This time was different.

There was someone else already there.

A stranger wearing a tattered white cloak knelt by the grave, one hand resting on the headstone. Ruby's first thought was indignation; she hadn't thought anyone outside the family knew about this place and whoever this woman was, she definitely hadn't been invited. Ruby opened her mouth only to close it a moment later. Something about the scene before her, the somber atmosphere perhaps, silenced her before she could speak.

The woman slowly rose to her feet and turned to face Ruby. Her face was hidden beneath her hood. A wind rustled their cloaks. Red and white.

"I knew I'd find you here."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** As I've mentioned, with the outlines tentatively complete, it appears there will be 15 (or perhaps 16) chapters total in this first volume of the story. It won't be the end after that, but it'll be the end of the beginning, and I will likely put the story on hold at that point. To tell you the truth I was never sure I'd even get this far; I started writing this story mainly to shake off some rust.

More chapters after that aren't out of the question, certainly not in the long term. I had the pleasure of talking with Coeur again over the weekend and we brainstormed directions the story could take in its second half. I'm pleased to report that I have a good idea of what the endgame looks like, and I'm mulling over two possible endings with very different tones. The main challenge will be determining which additional characters I want to get involved, particularly in the antagonist department.

Anyway if you're enjoying this story please follow and review!

**Beta:** N/A

* * *

Ruby stared in confusion. The woman's white cloak and build stirred an old longing inside her, an aching familiarity that resonated with where they were. The voice wasn't right however. And Ruby was too old to believe in ghosts.

"You're not mom, are you?" Ruby asked uncertainly.

The woman shook her head sadly. "No. I'm not."

Even though she'd known it, part of Ruby still felt disappointed. It was a cold and lonely feeling and even though Ruby knew it was silly she couldn't help wishing that her mother was alive and with her. She looked down at her toes. For several quiet moments she forgot that there was anyone else there. Then, with a small gasp, Ruby came to her senses and jabbed an accusing finger at the woman.

"Hey! Why were you touching my mom's headstone?"

The woman linked her hands behind her back and sheepishly scuffed the ground with her toe.

"Sorry about that," she said. "Don't worry, I was only paying my respects. Summer was important to me too."

Ruby blinked. "You knew her? What's your name?"

"I did. I'm Rose."

"Really? I'm a Rose too! Ruby Rose. Pleased to meetcha." Ruby's eyes widened. "Wait, does that mean you're family?"

"Yup. We're definitely related."

"No way! I've always wanted a bigger family! Don't get me wrong, I love Yang and dad and Uncle Qrow lots and lots, but I didn't think we had any extended family, at least they never told me about any. Oh! Are you my aunt?"

Rose rubbed the back of her head. "Your aunt? Hah. Auntie Rose. Y-yeah. I guess you can call me that."

"This is so cool!" Ruby practically bounced with excitement. "I have an aunt! Hey, do you like cookies?"

"Like them? They're my favorite! Warm gooey chocolate chip with a glass of milk. Oh my gosh I could go for some right now."

"I know! Oh, is that a collapsed weapon on your back? Are you a huntress? My mom was a huntress. What's its name?"

"I'm totally a huntress! I'm good at it too!" Rose deployed her weapon. "This is Grimm Reaper. I just built him recently."  
Ruby squealed with delight. "No way! A scythe with a rifle form? I've got one too!" Ruby held hers out proudly. "This is Crescent Rose. I also made her myself. If you look at this part up at the top, I set it up so that I can actually use the recoil—"

"To empower your swings! I know! Mine does the same thing!"

Ruby ran in for a hug. "We're going to be best friends!"

Rose readily returned the embrace, patting Ruby on the back of the head as she did.

"You know," she said warmly, "I think we are."

"I can't wait for you to meet the rest of the family," Ruby mumbled. "You're staying, right?"

Rose squeezed a little tighter. "Actually, I need to talk to you about that. You and your sister and the rest of the family too. I think we all might have to go on a little trip together for a while."

"A trip? Like a family vacation?"

"Yeah. Just like that. I just need to explain a few things to your dad and uncle about—"

Rose suddenly tensed up. Ruby yelped as she was shoved behind the huntress. She caught a glimpse of a bird swooping down at them at breakneck speed. Then the bird was a man, and that man was Uncle Qrow, and he was swinging Harbinger at Rose. Rose met the attack with Grimm Reaper. Ruby could _feel_ the force of their clash as the two scythes collided; it whipped at her hair and sent shivers through her bones.

Qrow moved to sweep Rose's legs, but the huntress somersaulted over him, blocking another strike from Harbinger in midair. He delivered a few more swipes, all parried, as he drove Rose away from Ruby. Stunned by the turn of events, Ruby tried to voice her dismay, but her words were stifled when she saw the fury in her uncle's eyes. Qrow glared at Rose.

"You stay the hell away from my niece."

* * *

Blake turned the page. Glancing over the top of her book, she saw Weiss sitting nearby, apparently engrossed in a book on faunus history. Blake wasn't familiar with the tome, but it had a faunus author, and it showed that the Schnee was really trying. Weiss had a small pile of books next to her on faunus and Atlesian corporate law.

They had been spending time at the local library, which had a surprisingly decent collection gathered from across Remnant. For her part, Blake had found a copy of a novel she'd been reading and was eager to resume. The two of them had been enjoying a companionable silence as they devoured their respective texts.

It was the sound of sirens that first alerted them to trouble. The noise blared out across the whole town. Weiss and Blake looked at each other. An alarm like that could only mean one thing: Grimm attack. In an instant they had their weapons drawn and were running for the exit.

They emerged onto the streets to find people muttering and pointing towards the harbor in horror. The formerly peaceful atmosphere was now thick with tension. Following their gestures, Blake saw black shapes crawling all over the docks. There was gunfire and cannon fire and signs of resistance, but the defenses were being overrun by sheer numbers.  
Blake squinted and could make out Ursa, Boarbatusks, and Beowolves emerging from the waves. These weren't varieties that were supposed to be found in the ocean.

"That's not normal," Blake declared.

"It's making its move." Weiss agreed. "But why attack the town? Does it know we're here?"

They watched as the Grimm began to swarm the ships. Some of the smaller ones were quickly capsized by the weight of the horde. The larger ones had their hulls breached and began to sink. Out of the corner of her eye Blake saw Weiss raise a hand to her mouth. There would be no survivors on those decks.

Looking upwards, Blake saw great swarms of Nevermore circling the island like rings of black clouds. There was no safety in the air either.

"They're trying to cut off any possible escape," Blake realized with a sinking feeling. "They're trying to trap everyone on the island."

There were shouts of dismay as others made the same discovery and pointed towards the sky. Some of the civilians were starting to panic, to run, and Blake knew that panic was contagious. Where would they go? An attack like this wasn't supposed to come from the sea. Most of the town's defenses would be on its walls, far from the harbor. Those same walls would now only trap townsfolk trying to flee the emerging threat.

It was a desperate situation. Any help here could save lives, even from huntresses in training. Somehow, Blake didn't have to look to know that Weiss was thinking the same thing.

"Rose told us not to draw any attention," Blake noted.

Weiss gripped Myrtenaster tightly. "I can't just sit back and do nothing."

Blake nodded in silent agreement. She pulled out her White Fang mask and set it on her face. If any of the civilians noticed, then they seemed to regard the Grimm as the much more pressing concern. Weiss shot her a sidelong glance.

"Are you sure you want to wear that? I'd hate to see you hurt because of a misunderstanding."

"If the White Fang are going to change, then that change needs to start with me," Blake replied. "This was never going to be easy."

Weiss didn't look like she approved, but her silence indicated respect for Blake's decision.

Blake appreciated that. "Where should we start? Any ideas?"

"We join the defenders at the docks," Weiss said. "By the sound of it, some of the defensive emplacements are still active, and every huntsman in the town will be there trying to stem the tide. The civilians will have to evacuate through the gates; there's no guarantee of safety outside the walls, but it's better than letting the town become a death trap. If we can hold the Grimm at the harbor for even a little while—"

Weiss fell silent as the waters off the coast began to churn. Something enormous, something long was winding its way towards the harbor. With an explosive splash a draconic head broke the surface, sheathed in bone. Its yellow eyes surveyed the town with cold contempt. More of its black serpentine body emerged as it reared up, revealing a bony underbelly and bony spikes protruding from its back. Red gills glowed on either side of its neck. It was big enough to match many of the larger vessels in the harbor.

It screeched its challenge to the whole island of Patch. Screams of terror were its only answer. All of the civilians were running now, a chaotic and desperate mob.

"What is that?" Blake asked a little faintly.

"A Sea Feilong," Weiss said in astonishment. "They're only supposed to exist in the deep ocean. I've only ever read about them in books. They never attack coastlines."

The two partners watched in helpless horror as lightning coalesced in the Sea Feilong's mouth. They were too far away to do anything about it, if there even was anything they could do. They could see the defenders frantically trying to attack the enormous Grimm, to distract it, but it evaded any serious attempts with deceptive speed and agility.

Then it fired, and blinding light devastated the harbor, its ships, and its defenders.

* * *

Qrow nearly saw red when he found Ruby in the arms of the woman who had taken down the Fall Maiden. For a moment he had feared he'd been too late. The enemy had the white cloak Ozpin had described, and didn't she have a lot of nerve wearing something like that here of all places? It pissed him off even more, if such a thing was possible.

Their clash confirmed her strength and reflexes. The scythe was a surprise; it looked like a pile of junk but it was deceptively well made. Was it some kind of taunt meant for him? It didn't matter. His entire focus was on the fight. Against an opponent of this caliber, any mistake, the slightest distraction, would surely be fatal.

Scythes flashed and clanged as they met again and again. As they locked weapons Qrow tried to mix it up with a roundhouse kick, but she jumped over the attack and drove her knee into his face in one smooth motion. He dropped to the ground and grabbed a fistful of dirt to throw at her eyes. The woman was already shielding her face with her cloak, and responded by firing a shot through the fabric from the rifle she'd concealed behind it. He felt his aura drop hard.

Qrow was pulling out every trick he knew, and he was stunned to find that his opponent anticipated each and every one of them. She was reading him like a book. Ruby was screaming something in the background but he couldn't hear it over the blood pounding in his ears. He absolutely could not afford to lose when her safety was on the line.

The woman darted in for another swipe, but this time when they locked scythes, she reached forward with her left hand and brushed a button on his hilt. Before he even realized what she'd done, Harbinger was transforming into its shotgun form. She slammed the pole of her scythe into his chin, then knocked Harbinger out of his grip and off to the side.

Qrow cursed and leaped backwards to create space. He put his fists up, ready to fight with his hands. Then he noticed something strange. The woman's shoulders were shaking.

Did she just sniffle?

"I don't wanna do this anymore."

To Qrow's complete astonishment, the woman threw down her weapon and just stood there with a drooping head. Fearing a trick, he lunged and tackled her to the ground. She offered no resistance as he punched her in the head. Her hood fell away.

His whole body went stiff. Little Ruby gasped. It felt like someone had reached into his chest to squeeze his heart.

"Summer?"

The face looking back at him was so fiercely reminiscent of his old, dearest friend and teammate, that for a moment Qrow forgot where and when he was. There was no mistaking those silver eyes, shining now not with light but with tears. Snot dribbled from her nose. Marred by sadness, her features were still kind and so very much like Summer that it ached to look at her. Seeing her lying there in that white cloak, he could've sworn that it was her.

She was shaking her head. No. Not Summer.

As Qrow came to his senses he began to notice the little differences, the details that didn't add up. Summer was his age. This woman looked like she was in her early twenties; much younger than he would have expected from a huntress of such skill. Her hair was the same distinctive dark red, appearing almost black except at the tips where their true color showed. However, it fell in untidy, almost spikey locks and tapered off at the nape of her neck. Not a haircut that Summer would've ever chosen to wear, Qrow knew.

Qrow swallowed his bewilderment. "Who—"

"Why are you hitting Auntie Rose?!"

He felt Ruby pulling at his shirt from behind. Realizing the position they were in, he scrambled off of the woman and blinked.

Auntie Rose?

"Summer didn't have a younger sister," Qrow protested. "She never mentioned you."

Rose blew her nose into the sleeve of her cloak.

"I-I can't tell you everything about myself," she hiccupped. "B-but I swear you're the only relatives I have. Here on Patch."

Qrow's head spun with the implications. "If that's true, then where have you been?"

"I spent years traveling across Remnant," Rose spoke without any hint of deception. "Fighting the Grimm. Fighting Salem. Learning secrets of the world." She gestured at the nearby grave. "I wanted to live up to her example. I wanted to make her proud."

"You're young to have been doing all of that."

Rose pouted. "Was good enough to be a licensed huntress at seventeen."

The age most students started their first year at a Huntsmen Academy. Qrow could see Ruby staring at the woman with stars in her eyes. It would make her the sort of prodigy that came along once in a generation, if humanity was lucky. An incredible claim, except that Qrow knew she had racked up the victories to prove it. Looking at that face, so open and honest with her emotions, so heartbreakingly familiar, he couldn't bring himself to think she was lying.

As they looked at each other in silence, Rose's lower lip began to tremble. She was afraid of rejection, Qrow realized. Their acceptance was important to her.

Whether the woman was telling all the truth or no, Qrow knew what Summer would do in his shoes.

He got up and dusted himself off. Then he walked over to Rose, pulled her to her feet, and drew her into a hug. Immediately she hugged him back tight enough that he could believe she was Summer's sister. He held her a little awkwardly as she cried into his shoulder. Little Ruby joined in, wrapping her arms around their legs.

A million questions still swirled in his head, but for the moment he was content to accept that Rose wasn't here to hurt Ruby. From there even he could see that she badly needed some emotional support. Whatever she'd been through to get here, it had clearly taken its toll.

So focused were they on their strange family reunion that they almost let their guards down. Qrow noticed it at the same time that Rose did. They each dove for the closest weapon on the ground, which happened to belong to the other. Qrow came up holding Rose's scythe, a ratty looking thing clearly cobbled together from recycled parts. Rose brandished Harbinger. After brief confusion, and with a belated eep, Ruby finally raised Crescent Rose.

They had gotten their weapons ready just in time. A moment later the Grimm were charging out of the woods and over the cliff like a stampede of shadows.

* * *

Yang frowned as she flipped through the channels. Her favorite show had ended the episode on a cliffhanger, the bastards, and it was looking like slim pickings everywhere else. A cereal commercial featuring Pyrrha Nikos. A trailer for the latest Spruce Willis movie. A news report about Winter Schnee taking control of the SDC. Yang brought a hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn.

Zwei lay beside her on the couch, his head adorably resting between his paws. She scratched idly behind his ears as she looked for something good to watch.

"Oh, a live Achieve Men concert!" Yang exclaimed happily. "There we go!"

Zwei got up suddenly and looked towards the front door. Yang could feel the dog tensing beneath her hand. A moment later he began growling. Yang blinked at him in surprise. It wasn't like Zwei to act aggressive for no reason.

"What's gotten into you?"

In response Zwei began barking, his hackles raised, his lips pulled back into an uncharacteristic snarl. It was as upset as Yang had ever seen him.

Yang turned towards the front door. She hadn't heard anything.

With a shrug, she got up to investigate.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Here we go. Things are going to start ramping up pretty quickly from here as we approach the climax. It's getting harder to maintain authorial momentum, but I do want to see this through to the end of the arc at least. I'm still having fun with it, which is the important thing. It hasn't gotten as many reviews as I'd hoped, but your encouragement has been invaluable.

I took this one slow and thus had the wonderful opportunity to have Scistorm and BuffetAnarchist at Spacebattles beta read the last scene (my favorite!) for me. Thanks to them. I hope you like this chapter, I made it with love.

**Beta:** Scistorm, BuffetAnarchist

* * *

"Any luck?"

Weiss frowned as Blake shook her head. Her faunus partner had a scroll pressed to her ear. The two of them were racing over the rooftops of the town, making a bee line towards the Grimm advancing from the ocean. With the harbor and its defenses gone, there was precious little to slow down the Grimm as they began to prey upon the civilians left behind.

"It's ringing, but Rose isn't answering," Blake replied. "That means she's either lost her scroll…"

"Or she can't answer," Weiss finished grimly.

Blake could tell what was worrying her. "Rose is strong."

"She's not invincible."

"Either way, we're on our own. Heads up."

They had reached the first of the Grimm, the adventurous ones that had charged ahead of the rest of the pack. Their assessment of the situation was interrupted by a blinding flash off in the distance; the Sea Feilong had fired another blast of lighting, carving a swath of destruction through a different neighborhood. When the spots in their eyes faded they realized that they were perched above what had been a busy commercial street. There were still civilians down there, mostly huddled inside the stores, clearly visible through the glass show windows. They were sitting ducks. Already the Grimm were beginning to smash their way in as screams filled the air.

"Go," Weiss said. "I'll set you up."

Blake nodded and leaped, drawing Wilt as she did. If they hadn't had experience fighting alongside each other, the two of them might've fought the Grimm one by one, taking up precious time to do so. By now however, Weiss and Blake knew enough about each other's capabilities to have an idea of how they meshed together.

With freedom to concentrate from a place of safety, it took Weiss only a few flicks of Myrtenaster to conjure white glyphs next to every one of the Grimm on the street. Each of the glyphs was angled just right. It was impressive work, if she could say so herself.

Blake landed on the first glyph and was off like a rocket. The faunus slashed right through a Beowulf with Wilt as she flew by on her way to the next glyph. She ricocheted from glyph to glyph, gaining momentum as she went, delivering a single blade stroke at high speed with each one. Grimm fell with their heads cut off or their bodies sliced cleanly in two. Wilt left a fiery streak through the air. Within moments all of the Grimm were dead and fading away.

Weiss jumped down to the street level lightly, taking her time as she walked to make sure that they hadn't missed any Grimm inside the buildings. A group of young huntresses and huntsmen in training caught her eye. They were about her age. There was an academy on Patch, wasn't there? The apparent students were clustered around the entrance to a movie theater. It looked like they'd been defending it; they seemed rather beleaguered and some, dragged off to the side, had obvious injuries. Behind them Weiss could see frightened civilians gathered in the lobby.

They were all staring at her now. Weiss drew herself up as she approached, prepared to take charge. She didn't harbor any illusions about being as good as Rose, or any licensed huntress for that matter, but she was confident that she was skilled for her age. And that was before she had spent the past several days running and fighting for her life against enemies from legend.

"Weiss Schnee?" one of the students asked in disbelief.

Weiss paused. It shouldn't have surprised her that she'd be recognized immediately; she had ditched her disguise as soon as the attack had started. She had hardly been accustomed to fighting with sunglasses, after all. Weiss narrowed her eyes and nodded.

The student, a boy, turned faintly pink. "I'm a huge fan of yours."

Weiss resisted the urge to scoff. The others were looking to her with similar celebrity worship, not the serious attentiveness they should have shown in what could still be a life or death situation. Blessedly, she was saved from that awkwardness when Blake landed next to her, sliding Wilt back into its sheath. Immediately there were screams and weapons drawn at the sight of the faunus' mask.

"Look out! White Fang!"

Weiss quickly stepped in front of Blake.

"Wait! She's with me." Weiss raised her hands before her placatingly. "Yes, she's White Fang, but she's here to help. We're here to help."

The students stared at her. Then they looked at Blake. Then they stared at Weiss again.

"What?" they chorused.

* * *

Qrow's arms and scythe were a blur as he waded through the tide of Grimm. That was often literal, as the corpses piled up faster than they could dissipate, thick enough to impede their progress through the cliffside forest. Directly behind him he could hear little Ruby taking shots through the trees with Crescent Rose. He was proud of the girl for keeping her cool and focusing on the fight. Sandwiching Ruby on the other side was the mysterious Rose, wielding Harbinger with more familiarity and proficiency than he had with her weapon.

The Grimm were pouring over them like water. There was no end to them, nothing visible between the trees but shadows and the glimmer of red eyes. These weren't particularly strong variants, but at a certain point quantity had a quality all its own. Of course, if Qrow wanted to escape all he had to do was transform and fly away; the problem was having to escort Ruby through this mess.

"You alright back there, kiddo?"

Ruby let out a high pitched noise as she fired another shot at a lunging Beowulf.

"Just hang in there! You're doing great! Everything is going to be alright."

Qrow wasn't sure he sounded convincing, even to himself, but he knew that it couldn't hurt Ruby's confidence. She would need all that she could get.

It would've been hopeless without Rose, Qrow had to admit. He still didn't know how far he trusted the woman, but if she had wanted them dead all she really had to do was leave. As it was, there was no denying her protectiveness of Ruby and the ferocity with which she fought the Grimm. He would never have been able to keep Ruby safe by himself against a horde of this size. By moving in tandem, with Qrow clearing a path inch by inch and Rose bringing up the rear, they were just barely able to make progress.

Qrow grunted in irritation as another scythe swing went slightly off course due to the unfamiliar balance of the weapon. It reminded him more of Crescent Rose than his own Harbinger. As a result it took a moment longer for the Ursa he'd been aiming at to die, leaving him open to a glancing blow from a charging Boarbatusk. He couldn't know what his aura was at but this wasn't sustainable. It would be death by a thousand cuts soon enough at this rate.

"Switch places, I need a weapon swap!" Qrow called out.

"Coming right up!"

In unison Qrow and Rose performed a backflip over Ruby, releasing their weapon handles in midair, each retrieving their original as they landed. They seamlessly traded roles, with Rose blazing the way forward while Qrow defended their flank. Not for the first time Qrow marveled at how effortless their teamwork was. He couldn't take any credit for it; Rose was just that good at anticipating his thinking and his movements. She'd shown that ability to read him when they'd fought, and she seemed to read him even better now as an ally.

That much reminded him of Summer, even though Rose didn't fight anything like her otherwise.

Amidst all the madness there came the familiar ringing of a scroll. Qrow couldn't help but laugh at the idea of sparing a moment to try to answer it. At first he thought it was his scroll, perhaps Ozpin trying to check up on him. Gods, he and Ozpin were going to have words about keeping him in the loop if he survived this. After several rings Qrow finally realized the noise was actually coming from Rose.

"You seem popular!" Qrow shouted over his shoulder.

Rose grimaced. "It means someone else needs me."

Was she thinking of leaving? No, that couldn't happen. For Ruby's sake.

Qrow struggled to keep his voice level. "Hey. I know we don't know each other very well, but Ruby and I really need you here."

"I know."

Likely sensing their desperation, the Grimm began to work themselves into a frenzy. The waves became thicker. They climbed the trees and rained down on the scythe wielders from above, trying to smother them in bodies. Not even Qrow could avoid every hit like this, not while protecting Ruby. Judging from the flashes of aura he saw out of the corner of his eye, Rose wasn't unscathed either. Both of them pressed close to Ruby to keep the girl safe. Their progress had slowed to a crawl.

"Where are they coming from?" Qrow gritted his teeth. "There shouldn't be this many Grimm on all of Patch!"

"They're being controlled by something a lot worse," Rose said worriedly. "I haven't seen it here though. I thought for sure it'd be here. Where is it if it's not here? Wait. Oh no. Yang!"

With a frustrated growl, Rose vanished into a red blur that swirled around them, trailing petals as it cleared an ever larger ring outwards. Qrow swallowed his confusion at her words and surprise at her actions. Seizing the opening, he grabbed a yelping Ruby by the scruff of her cloak and charged forwards.

"That Semblance…" Qrow muttered. "You _are_ a Rose."

Rose continued to cut a path for them, visible only in glimpses when she bothered to materialize to take a hard swing at one of the larger Grimm.

"We need to get back to the cabin!" Rose sounded frantic now. "We need to check on Yang!"

A feeling of dread settled in Qrow's gut. He didn't understand anything about what was going on, but Yang being in danger was something he understood all too well.

"It's closer than Signal," Qrow said. "I would've suggested heading there anyway."

They were reaching the edge of the cliffside forest now; the light of day shone through the treetops. In that moment the Grimm _surged_ all at once, swarming from all sides while Rose was trying to blaze a trail ahead. The huntress had overextended. Qrow switched Harbinger to shotgun mode and threw himself over Ruby. It was the only option he had to protect her. He got one shot off, blowing the head off of an Ursa, and then they were upon him.

His aura held up for the first several hits but there were just too many. Claws sank into flesh. Pain blossomed in his gut. He let out an involuntary scream. Ruby wailed beneath him.

A blinding flash of silver light washed over them and the seething mass of Grimm evaporated into black smoke. Rose gathered Qrow into her arms and began running, Ruby trailing along, her own silver eyes wide and shining with tears. Qrow looked down and saw the nasty gash across his stomach. No wonder he felt so cold. That was a lot of blood. Fear crept over him, not for himself but for Ruby.

Rose proved her heritage again and again as she blasted Grimm out of their way with her eyes. For the life of him Qrow couldn't understand the sheer _anguish_ on her face. It wasn't like they'd known each other or anything. Even if she was, somehow, Summer's long lost sister, that didn't make her any relation to Qrow. And yet, as Rose looked down at Qrow with a trembling lip, he knew that this stranger saw him as family.

That gave him the courage to face what had to happen next.

At last they reached the edge of the forest, but the open plains offered no hope or respite. The landscape ahead of them was carpeted in Grimm. There had to be thousands of them. It was like a black curtain had fallen over the land. Rose gently laid Qrow down against a rock and deployed her scythe. Ruby knelt by him with tears streaming down her face.

"Ruby," Rose said shakily. "I need you to help Uncle Qrow walk. Bandage the wound if you can, and keep pressure on it no matter what."

Qrow shook his head. "Let's cut the crap. You and I both know what needs to be done here."

Rose turned to look at him. "What are you talking about?"

A lifetime spent around Roses told Qrow that the huntress was genuinely clueless. He tried to sigh and instead coughed up blood. He hadn't wanted to have to say it in front of Ruby.

"I'm only going to slow you down like this," Qrow said. "You'll never make it if you have to look after the both of us. I'm dead weight. Leave me."

Rose recoiled. "What?! No!"

Ruby reacted similarly, additionally yammering out a stream of desperate protests. Qrow shushed the girl with a harsh glare. The look on her face hurt him far more than the injury. He forced himself to turn back to Rose.

"My life isn't important. I'm trusting you with something that is." Qrow nodded at Ruby. "If you're really Summer's blood, I know you'll keep her safe."

Rose shook her head. "I'm not leaving you behind!"

"Idiot! We don't have time for this! Think about what Summer would've wanted! She would put Ruby first. She wouldn't hesitate. You shouldn't either."

"But—"

"I'll attack you myself if that's what it takes," Qrow growled with deadly seriousness. "I'm not asking here. Take Ruby and go."

* * *

"Knock it off, Zwei!"

Yang glared down in frustration at the corgi, who had seized her left sock in his jaws and was trying to pull her back with all of his might. Considering that the adorable canine had an unlocked aura, this was actually a much more serious impediment than one might have thought. Zwei ignored her protests, continuing to growl in his throat even as he did his best to keep Yang away from the front door.

"Seriously, what is your problem tonight?" Yang put her hands on her hips as she considered the best way to get Zwei to let go without hurting him. "First you flip out like there's something out there, and now you don't want me to look? C'mon, make up your mind."

Zwei began pulling more desperately, throwing his whole body into each tug. He was whining now, a pitiful, pleading sound. As Yang finally started to get concerned, there came a thunderous crash. Her aura flared as fragments of the front door and its accompanying wall were blasted all over the room. Fresh air rushed in from outside. Yang's head snapped around and stared at a strange sight.

A black shape like a woman, but with the telltale mask and glowing red eyes of a Grimm. Arms and legs with bizarre, stretched proportions. Half a dozen barbed tentacles writhing from its back. It was like something out of her childhood nightmares.

"What the hell?"

Yang's first thought was to fight. She reached for Ember Cecilia, but a black tentacle lashed out at her and she stumbled backwards, helped along by Zwei. The attack missed her heart but managed to clip her side. Pain seared through Yang, and she was stunned to realize that it had drawn blood; her aura had popped like a balloon. Trying and failing to call upon her Semblance, Yang confirmed her present powerlessness. Her thoughts screeched to a halt altogether.

For once in her life Yang's fight or flight response veered sharply towards the latter.

The stairs weren't far; within moments Yang was vaulting over the handrail and halfway to the second floor. She could hear more crashes behind her, sounds of floorboards and furniture being torn up and thrown aside. Zwei barked furiously. Then there was a crack, and the dog whined and fell ominously silent. Her eyes stinging with tears, Yang raced down the hallway and into the room she shared with Ruby. The Grimm was skittering up the stairs in pursuit.

Yang slammed the door behind her and tried to run for the window. She cried out in surprise as the floor gave way beneath her; the wall that had been destroyed had been load-bearing. With no aura she felt every bump and scrape as she tumbled amidst the debris. The impact hurt like hell, but she immediately forced herself to her feet, coughing from all the dust. She was back in the living room. Above her, she could hear the Grimm bursting into the bedroom with so much momentum that it slammed straight into the opposite wall.

She had precious seconds. Thinking quickly, Yang grabbed a nearby lamp and hurled it out the nearest window, at the base of the stairs. The glass shattered loudly. She could hear the Grimm react above her. Clutching her side, desperately hoping she wouldn't drip a trail of blood, Yang hobbled into the kitchen and hid herself behind a shelf.

Her heart beat in her throat as the Grimm crashed back down into the living room. She pressed a hand over her mouth to smother another cough, her body convulsing with the effort.

_Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts, don't let it sense your negativity._

Did it even hunt by negativity? Yang had never seen or heard of a Grimm like this. This was Patch, this was her home, where her family lived, they were supposed to be safe within these walls! Zwei had tried to warn her; was he alright? Why was this happening? Why here, why now? Yang shut her eyes tight and felt tears of suppressed anger and helpless frustration run down her cheeks. Everything about the situation should've pissed her off, except that it was crystal clear that she couldn't afford to be.

There was no hope of getting her emotions under control. Even so, the Grimm seemed to be fooled. Yang felt a surge of relief as she heard it exit through the broken window. Finally allowing herself to gasp and cough for air, she staggered over to the nearest kitchen window, on the other side of the house from where the Grimm would be. She fumbled with the latch and opened it.

Yang climbed outside and looked around. The coast was clear.

Without aura she wouldn't stand a chance on foot, but Bumblebee was still in the shed. If she could reach her motorcycle, she could make a quick getaway. She would head to Signal, and with her dad's help they would warn Ruby. Yang felt her heart clench at the thought of explaining to her father that their home had been half destroyed while she hadn't even been able to put up a fight. She didn't want to imagine the look on Ruby's face when she heard about their room. Yang wiped at her eyes with her sleeve and broke into a run.

As she rounded the corner the shed came into view, right where it should be. There was still no sign of the Grimm. Yang let out a sound that was somewhere between a sob and a laugh as she sprinted towards salvation. She had almost reached the shed when she heard the barking. Zwei appeared, running straight at her. Yang tried to avoid the dog but he barreled right into her, the force of his aura knocking her off her feet.

Before Yang could process what had happened, the shed collapsed into a pile of timber right before her eyes. The Grimm emerged from the wreckage, its red eyes fixed on her. It had been waiting in ambush all along. It had anticipated what she would do.

A pair of tentacles rummaged through what was left of the shed. A moment later they came up holding Bumblebee. Yang watched in rage and despair as the Grimm ripped her beloved motorcycle into halves. Zwei was barking again. Like lightning the Grimm hurled one half of the motorcycle at Zwei, hitting the dog with enough force to shatter what was left of his aura. Yang cried out and tried to get to her feet, only to be forced to drop abruptly as the other half of Bumblebee missed her by inches. Her head hit the ground.

Yang groaned as she lay sprawled out. She lifted her throbbing head and saw the Grimm approaching. Zwei was out for the count. Desperately, Yang looked around for something, anything that she could use to escape, but there was nothing and no one. Just motorcycle parts and dirt.

She had no anger left, only terror and despair. Yang had never felt more alone in her life. She shut her eyes again, hoping against hope that Ruby would stay away from this place, that Ruby wouldn't be the one to find her body.

There was a strange thrumming noise.

Yang opened her eyes, then opened them wider. A swirling portal of red and black had appeared out of thin air. Yang felt her heart stop as a woman stepped out of it. A woman that she recognized from an old photograph that she'd spent too many miserable hours staring at. Her jaw fell open.

"Mom?"

Raven surveyed the scene with a cool gaze that sharpened as she spotted the Grimm. The glance she gave Yang, on the other hand, was almost dismissive.

"Everybody gets one."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** I'm glad that folks seemed to enjoy Raven's entrance! Her involvement in this arc is one of the major bits I'd hoped people wouldn't see coming. She is the main reason that I'm finding Yang's storyline the most fun to write.

We're approaching the climax now. I hope you're all enjoying the ride! On the topic of whether Raven could have saved Summer with her portals, my headcanon has always been that she was simply drunk or asleep when it happened. I like to think that she felt like shit when she woke up and realized that their connection was gone. It would be difficult for me to accept that Raven knowingly and deliberately allowed Summer to die.

**Beta:** N/A

* * *

Raven turned her attention to the cabin, with its destroyed façade and shattered windows. Yang could hear her scoff under her breath.

"This place has gone to the dogs."

Zwei stirred and gave a weak bark.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Not you."

The exchange only accentuated the absolute surrealness of the situation. Yang felt like she must be dreaming. Only the very real pain of her injuries convinced her that this was happening. Her mother was here. Raven Branwen. The woman who had haunted her imagination and her most private thoughts ever since Summer had died.

As the initial shock faded a cauldron of emotions began to churn beneath the surface. Anger was the strongest. Struggling to make sense of the situation, Yang latched onto that like a life preserver. For years she had dreamed of this moment, spent hours imagining what she would say. All of that was forgotten now, replaced by one overriding question.

"Where the fuck have you been?!"

Raven looked at her out of the corner of one eye, and Yang felt her gut twist at the lack of warmth there.

Before Raven could respond, if she even intended to respond, the Grimm lunged with its limbs bristling. What happened next was too fast for Yang to follow. The next thing she knew, Raven had her sword out and the Grimm was flying backwards. Raven looked surprised, her red eyes wide, an expression that somehow seemed out of place on her face. Meanwhile the Grimm stabbed its tentacles into the ground, arresting its momentum. It showed no sign of damage.

"That's new," Raven muttered.

Raven narrowed her eyes and lunged forward to engage the Grimm again. Yang felt her anger freeze over and turn to icy fear as she remembered how easily the monster had broken her own aura. Like a waking nightmare, she imagined losing a second mother mere moments after finally meeting her. The very thought of it was agonizing. And Raven had come to save Yang, hadn't she? It was because of Yang's weakness that Raven was in danger at all.

"Mom, don't let it touch you! It goes right through aura!"

Raven offered no response but appeared to take the warning to heart as she dodged the Grimm's counterattack. The Grimm was darting from side to side now, as if looking for a way around Raven. Apparently deciding that there was none, it shifted to attack her head on. Raven leaped over one sinuous black limb and moved to parry another with her sword. She grunted in surprise as the tentacle abruptly split into four. Her body and blade blurred as each of the four ends were knocked aside by a sword stroke. Taking advantage of the opening, she landed and thrust her sword into the Grimm's face so hard that the blade shattered.

To both Yang and Raven's surprise the attack had still failed to penetrate. The strength behind the blow was enough to knock the Grimm back a bit, but Raven was forced to disengage as the Grimm retaliated with a splitting rain of black tendrils. Yang stared in disbelief. It was obvious even to her eyes that Raven, her mother, was an exceptionally skilled huntress. The hits she was dishing out sent shockwaves through the air and ground. Every blow landed like a thunderclap. What kind of Grimm was this, that it could take all of that and simply shrug it off?

Belatedly, Yang realized that the Grimm was eyeing her again. The fight was getting all too close.

"Get back!" Raven snapped.

Yang scrambled to comply but stopped at the tree line. She could see a bead of sweat trickle down Raven's brow, the woman's breathing a little labored. The fear had never left Yang, and it spiked now, keeping her from fleeing any further; Yang found that she didn't have it in her to leave her mother to face this alone. No matter that Raven had abandoned her. No matter that this might as well have been their first meeting. If Raven died here Yang would never get any answers, and more importantly she wasn't sure she would be able to live with herself.

Sensing that its opponent was on the backfoot, the Grimm charged with renewed ferocity. Raven clicked her hilt back into its sheath and drew a fresh blade, this one blue instead of red. Dust? A swing of her sword froze the ground, causing the Grimm to skid momentarily out of control. Raven roared as she lunged to meet it, this time driving her pommel into its face.

There was a deafening crack as the Grimm was knocked backwards again. This time, however, it lashed out with a tentacle that wrapped around Raven's ankle, pulling her along with it. Yang let out a strangled cry of dismay. Quick as lightning, Raven swung her sword, carving a portal into the air before her. A moment later she tumbled out the other end, right next to Yang. Before the tentacle could pull her back through it, the portal closed shut, severing the black limb. Raven clambered back to her feet as the tentacle dissipated.

"Mom!"

Driven by instinct, Yang ran to Raven to see if she was alright, to see if there was some way that she could help. Without a word Raven roughly shoved Yang behind her, hard enough to send her flying. Yang was stunned as she hit the ground and rolled across the grass. Tears sprung to her eyes against her will. She knew it was stupid. There was no way she could've done anything except get in the way, even if she'd had her aura, but the rejection still felt like a knife in her heart.

Raven kept her attention on the Grimm, and for the first time Yang thought she saw something like fear flicker in those red eyes. Yang shivered. She'd known that her mother was strong, her father and Uncle Qrow had agreed on that much. Seeing the truth with her own eyes was more than impressive. Whatever else could be said of her, in combat Raven was the type of huntress that Yang only hoped she could someday become.

And yet the Grimm was still overpowering her. It showed no signs of slowing down. What hope did they have against an enemy like this?

Raven tensed up. Then, of all things, she rolled her eyes and huffed. The Grimm lunged forward once again. A yellow streak shot out from the trees, knocking it away with a tremendous kick. Yang, who had been close to despair, felt her heart sing with delight.

"Dad!"

Raven examined her fingernails. "Tch. Took you long enough. You call this parenting?"

"I don't want to hear that from you." Taiyang Xiao Long sighed and touched a hand to his forehead. "It's good to see you again, Ray."

* * *

Blake drove Wilt into the Ursa, then ripped the blade free through its torso. The heavy Grimm collapsed onto the shadow clone she'd left behind. The real Blake was already leaping through the air, where she bounced off of a white glyph and towards a Boarbatusk. As she somersaulted over the Grimm she fired Blush with her left hand, sending two bullets through a red eye each. The Boarbatusk was dissolving by the time her feet touched the next glyph.

Moments later she alighted atop a modest two story building to take a breather. As if reading her mind, the glyphs ceased, allowing her the chance to get her bearings. It had been long minutes of nonstop, mobile fighting as Blake worked to establish something resembling a perimeter. From her perch she spotted Weiss organizing the young huntsmen trainees. Their academy was called Signal, apparently. The Schnee head was gesticulating with her free arm, directing the students as they rounded up the civilians and sent them running for the town gates.

Blake smiled faintly at the sight. Weiss seemed to be a natural leader, something that Blake had never been. The stress in the girls' voice gave away that she wasn't yet comfortable in her role, that she was demanding too much of herself too quickly. Somehow, strangely, that reminded Blake of a young Adam when he was entrusted with his first command. Weiss would only get better with time. Blake had no doubt she'd become a woman who could keep the promises she'd made.

The students were scrambling to follow her orders. It was amazing how easily the frightened trainees could accept help from a White Fang member as soon as an angry Schnee yelled at them with Grimm at their heels. They were used to following instructions, and with Weiss being the closest thing to an authority figure around, they had fallen back on their training. Blake watched as a pair of girls teamed up to hold off a pack of Beowolves trying to storm the street. They weren't bad. They must've had good teachers.

On the other hand, it turned out that civilians were not nearly so blasé about being rescued by a faunus in a White Fang mask. It had been quickly and mutually decided that Blake would focus on intercepting any Grimm trying to sneak in though the backstreets and alleys.

Shouts rang out in the distance. Blake spun around to see the Sea Feilong slithering its way out of the ocean. The area around the harbor was so thoroughly devastated that it might as well have been flat ground. The massive Grimm looked awkward trying to move on land, and for a moment Blake dared to believe that it had made a mistake. Then the crest along its back split in two as a pair of new appendages seemed to claw their way out from its body. Blake watched in horror as the monstrous thing sprouted actual wings.

Lightning was already gathering in its mouth as it took to the air.

Weiss was shouting and pointing at the Sea Feilong with Myrtenaster now. All of the Signal students within earshot began concentrating fire with their ranged weapon modes, and Blake joined them with shots from Blush. The flying Grimm twisted and winded its way out of most of it with contemptuous ease. Blake cursed. Nothing that big should be able to move that fast.

They couldn't so much as scratch it before it unleashed the lightning in their direction. The blast was blinding, so bright that Blake could only hit the deck, shut her eyes, and hope for the best. All of her hairs stood on end. The stench of ozone was thick in the air. A wave of heat washed over her along with screams and sounds of destruction.

When it was over Blake raised her head and looked around desperately. The attack had scourged the street, carving a blackened, smoking scar through the neighborhood. She released a breath she didn't know she'd been holding when she spotted Weiss getting to her feet. As far as she could tell the Signal students had all sought cover, as they'd no doubt been trained to do, and several of them were shielded even now by white glyphs. It looked like they'd gotten lucky.

Blake looked to the skies. The Sea Feilong was circling around, charging up another round of lightning.

Yeah, no, that couldn't happen.

Blake jumped off of the rooftop, firing Blush into the air to draw attention.

"Schnee! Like last time!"

Like magic, a series of glyphs appeared in the air leading up towards the Sea Feilong. Blake hopped from glyph to glyph as she ascended towards the flying Grimm. As they'd done in the fight against Amber, Blake was making leaps of faith, trusting Weiss to know when and where to put the next glyph. The Schnee hadn't let her down yet.

As Blake approached rapidly, the Sea Feilong seemed to take note of her and darted away, apparently hoping to evade her altogether. It didn't stop charging its lightning. The glyphs adjusted their angles to propel her through the air like a missile. The wind whipped at her hair as she ricocheted rapidly in pursuit. The Sea Feilong was more agile in the open air than Amber had been, but Blake and Weiss were better at this now thanks to that prior experience.

Keeping her focus on the target, Blake began to tap the fire dust imbued into Wilt. The blade hissed with heat. She would only get one shot at this and had to make it count. The Sea Feilong banked suddenly, but Weiss reacted in time and the next glyph was positioned so that Blake would have a chance to catch it. Blake seized the opportunity, rocketing straight at the Grimm. She used her Semblance twice to adjust her trajectory in midair.

Holding Wilt before her, Blade let out a yell as the superheated blade sliced right through the joint of one of the wings, cutting it clean off.

"Take that!"

The Sea Feilong roared as it spiraled out of control. A moment later there was a brilliant flash as the lightning blast went wide and fired out over the ocean. Blake felt a surge of adrenaline and triumph. She looked fondly at Wilt. She doubted that Gambol Shroud would've been able to sever the whole wing like that; Wilt clearly had the superior cutting power, even without the dust effect. Blake did miss her old weapon, especially the ribbon, but Wilt and Blush were quickly growing on her. Weiss' glyphs granted her more maneuverability than she'd ever had with the ribbon anyway.

Blake touched down on a rooftop around the same time that the Sea Feilong crashed through some buildings a few blocks away. It wasn't dead, and even grounded Blake didn't think it would be a good idea to push their luck by trying to kill it with the limited firepower on hand. Weiss seemed to agree, directing the students to flee. At least the evacuees would have a chance now.

It took Blake a few moments to get within shouting distance of Weiss. By the time she did, the Schnee was running through the streets as well, bringing up the rear. She'd been the last one to retreat. Blake didn't waste time jumping down to her, instead running along the rooftops in parallel. Weiss greeted her with a smile and a nod.

"What's the plan now?" Blake called.

"Scrolls are still working. The Signal students got a message out, if no one else did," Weiss replied. "Beacon has already sent reinforcements."

"How long until they get here?"

Weiss shrugged helplessly.

"Is that even a good thing?" Blake thought of Rose.

"Has to be better than the alternative. I've been trying to contact Rose but there's still no—"

There was another blinding flash from behind them. That was the only warning they got. Blake's eyes widened as she saw a blast of lightning surging straight at Weiss. Without thinking Blake threw herself at the Schnee, using her Semblance to get there in a blink. She tackled Weiss out of the way as heat _seared_ her back through her aura, her clothes and skin burning, muscles seizing up as electricity wracked her body. She gasped for air, hyperventilating.

It was the first time Blake had ever used her Semblance to dive _into_ danger.

As Weiss pulled her to her feet, Blake spotted the white glyph behind her which had shielded her from the worst of the blast. She'd only caught the edges of it even so. It should have bothered her to have had such a close brush with death, but for some reason Blake felt strangely empty about it. Weiss, however, glared at her with a mix of concern and anger.

"What were you thinking?" Weiss demanded. "That was reckless and stupid! You almost died! I was going to dodge it on my own, and I have the benefit of being able to shield myself. What would you have done if you were just a little bit slower, or if I didn't get my glyph up in time?"

"I couldn't take any chances." Blake shook her head. "You've promised to help the faunus. You're the head of the SDC. I'm not that important."

Weiss' eyes widened. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Do you really need it spelled out?" Blake said in frustration. "Think rationally! Your life is more valuable than mine!"

Weiss slapped her hard enough for both their auras to flare. It didn't hurt, not much, but the shock of it had Blake staring like an idiot. The Schnee head was seething as she glared back, her shoulders shaking with inexplicable anger.

"Have you already forgotten your part of that bargain?" Weiss snapped. "We're supposed to help the faunus together. I agreed to take on a partner, not a martyr. And what of Rose's visions of the future? In case you can't remember, we're both equally important! You're not leaving me to take all of that on by myself. No, you don't get off that easily. You're not allowed to die. I absolutely forbid it!"

Blake lowered her eyes. It wasn't like she had been looking for an easy way out, was it? Then again, she had been taking more risks since the attack on the White Fang camp. The thought of letting everything go might've crossed her mind once or twice. It was nothing serious, or at least she hadn't thought so. Shame and guilt crept over her as she realized how unfair that attitude had been to Weiss.

"I'm sorry," Blake said hoarsely.

Weiss' expression softened. "Just promise me you won't throw your life away."

"I won't. I promise."

The two of them stood there awkwardly with the town in chaos around them. Neither of them was used to showing emotion; they weren't touchy feely people. As the moment stretched on, they averted their gazes, each determinedly not looking at the other. Finally, a red faced Weiss broke the deadlock.

"Oh, let's just go!"

Blake sagged in relief at the cutting of the tension. She followed after Weiss. Together they rushed off to catch up with the other evacuees.

* * *

Qrow looked up at Rose. The huntress met his gaze as those silver eyes blinked once, twice. Ruby was clinging to him like a barnacle, as though he might disappear if she released him. Her little body was rigid with fear.

Rose crouched down so that they were at eye level. She took a deep breath, visibly steeling herself.

"No."

_What?_

Qrow growled. "This is no time for games. Didn't you hear me? You don't have a choice—"

"You're right. I don't," Rose agreed. "If I let you die, Ruby here won't ever forgive me. And I won't either. But it won't come to that, Qrow. Because it's my turn to protect you."

Rose reached out and ruffled Qrow's hair fondly. The gesture was strangely familiar, and despite his best efforts it filled Qrow with a tingly warmth that silenced his protests. He could only stare mutely as Rose straightened up and gave him a radiant smile.

"It's going to be alright," she said.

Rose then gently pried Ruby off of Qrow and placed her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"Hey. Do you remember your first aid lessons?" Ruby nodded in response. "Good. Look after your uncle. He says really silly things sometimes. Don't mind him, okay?"

"Okay."

Rose reached for a red scythe resting nearby, where Ruby had discarded it.

"I need to borrow this." Rose inspected the weapon. "Oh boy have I missed you."

The huntress turned to face the horde of Grimm advancing across the open fields. They were hundreds, maybe thousands of creatures of darkness, born from the power of a spiteful God. Rose reached behind her and drew her own scythe.

With Grimm Reaper in one hand and Crescent Rose in the other, the lone huntress began marching forward. Her eyes glinted with silver light.

"If these guys are gonna get in our way, then I'll just have to destroy them all."

She crossed her scythes before her. Her white cloak billowed behind her.

Then she charged.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Alright here we go. Shit is getting real now. It all comes to a head in the next chapter, which I presently expect to conclude the arc. I honestly never thought that I would get this far, and I probably would not have done so without your reviews. Thank you for following along. If you've derived pleasure from reading this, I hope that you will recommend it to others.

One of the things I'm proud of is that there's very little fat on my writing. I feel that I've told a lot of story for such a modest word count. I hope it comes across that way to readers as well.

Enjoy this penultimate chapter before the break.

**Beta:** N/A

* * *

"Shut up," Raven said without heat. "We have work to do."

Taiyang looked over at the Grimm. "Yeah. What are we dealing with?"

"Something new. Haven't been able to cut it with anything except a portal. It's strong as hell and apparently aura does nothing to stop it. Don't get hit."

There was no big emotional display. It felt like any conversation they might've had as students at Beacon. Raven appreciated that. It made things simple, allowed her to lean on old habits. Taiyang was smart enough to understand that this was the only way they were going to be able to work together in this fight. Sixteen years of estrangement had to be set aside. Here and now they were huntsmen with a common enemy; anything else could wait until the threat to their daughter was dealt with.

And by at that point, Raven would be gone. It wasn't like anyone could keep her from leaving.

"Blunt force then. Hit and run." Taiyang cracked his knuckles. "I can work with that."

Raven nodded. "Anvil drop?"

"Do it."

Taiyang leaped high into the air, directly over Raven. With a practiced sweep of her sword, she opened a portal above her head. The other end appeared above Taiyang. He fell until he dropped through her end of the portal, only to reappear in the sky, again and again as he gained speed. Soon he was a yellow blur falling endlessly in a loop.

Raven turned to face the Grimm with a predatory smirk. She'd never admit it, but it felt good to use her Semblance in combat again. Almost every Semblance on record had some type of combat application, and Kindred Link was no exception to that rule. It was more than a glorified taxi service. As its name and nature suggested, the true potential of her Semblance could only be realized when she worked in tandem with others.

It required coordination, anticipation, understanding of each other's thinking. It only worked with trust and long practice. It only worked when there was a bond.

"It's coming!" Raven called.

The Grimm charged forward, likely aiming to interrupt whatever they were preparing. Raven danced through a web of black limbs as she moved to meet it. At point blank range she parried a swipe of its humanoid arm, then riposted into its chest. The thrust knocked it back a few inches. It also opened a fresh portal. Taiyang came rocketing through with his leg outstretched, delivering a devastating kick at terminal velocity. The Grimm was sent flying.

No way to dodge, no chance to counterattack. It was an incredibly powerful Semblance when used to its potential. Raven assumed it was some cosmic joke that she, of all the people on Remnant, required a partner for that.

"Nice shot." Taiyang smiled.

Raven harrumphed. "We're out of practice."

"I don't know. Feels just like old times to me."

"Look sharp. It's getting up again."

Raven spared a glance at Yang. The girl was staring at the two of them with stars in her eyes. A flicker of some uncomfortable emotion stirred in Raven, which she quickly and brutally suppressed. She refocused her attention on the Grimm as it lunged.

* * *

Qrow watched in solemn wonder as a white cloak bled into red streaks. The huntress danced across the fields in leaps and bounds, pirouetting her body as she went, each arm holding a scythe and each scythe cutting down swathes of Grimm. The Grimm tried to sweep over her with waves of bodies. Each time they gathered the numbers she would vanish in a swirl of petals, only to reappear, tearing into them where they were thickest, like a human blender.

In the cliffside forest there had barely been room to swing their weapons, with Grimm raining from the treetops and Ruby pressed close to them by necessity. Out here Rose seemed unleashed. The sight of it reminded him of the old legend he'd learned from his dearest friend; the words she had burned into his memory through both her narration and her example.

_Back before Huntsmen, before Kingdoms, it was said that those born with silver eyes were destined to lead the life of a warrior._

As the masses of smaller Grimm failed to get anywhere, the larger specimens in the horde began to make their move. A Death Stalker, a Creep, and a Goliath charged towards Rose at the same time, trampling lesser Grimm underfoot and kicking up dust in their wakes. These were variants that hadn't been seen on Patch in living memory. They were draped with seaweed and other evidence of having recently traveled through the ocean.

Rose ran towards the approaching Death Stalker first, jumping onto its head and pushing off hard enough to drive its eyes into the dirt. The maneuver propelled her to the same height as its stinger, which she promptly severed with a swing of Grimm Reaper. A follow-up strike with Crescent Rose, empowered by recoil, knocked the stinger at the Goliath like a giant baseball. It struck between the Goliath's eyes, penetrating the tough armored mask, killing the enormous Grimm instantly.

_Creatures of Grimm, the most fearsome monsters mankind had ever encountered, were afraid of those Silver-Eyed warriors._

The Goliath's momentum carried its massive body forward even as it collapsed into the ground and began to dissipate. Rose sank her scythes into its bulk, using them like ice axes to get on top of the thing in a flash. The alpha Creep was still charging with its horn lowered. Robbed of its stinger, the Death Stalker brandished its claws as it too converged on her.

Rose shifted both of her scythes into sniper rifles. Locking her arms into position, keeping them perfectly parallel, she aimed both guns at the same time. She inhaled. The Creep had almost caught up to the Death Stalker. She exhaled. As the breath left her lungs she fired, and a pair of bullets tore into the Creep's right eyes, blinding it on that side and sending it into its death throes. The Creep collided with the Death Stalker, the great horn cracking its carapace.

The other Grimm, in all their multitudes, seemed to hesitate for a fraction of a second.

_They were the best of the best._

A swarm of Nevermore and Lancers swooped down on Rose in a thick column. Rose tossed Grimm Reaper up and at them; it shot spinning into the air, cutting through the flock, thinning their numbers. Rose leaped to follow with Crescent Rose in hand, twisting into a corkscrew motion, wiping out whatever flying Grimm remained.

_It was said that even a single look from one of these fighters could strike a Grimm down._

Retrieving Grimm Reaper at the apex of her jump, Rose hung suspended in the air for an instant, the fields below her still teeming with the Grimm. In that briefest of moments her eyes flashed with silver light as bright and intense as the sun. On these open fields there was no escaping it. Wherever that light fell, Grimm burst into black vapor, dying by the hundreds from a mere glance.

Qrow felt wetness on his cheeks and he realized he was crying. He wasn't even sure why. It wasn't his injuries. The magnificence of what he was witnessing, the memory of Summer, the presence of Ruby at his side as he leaned on her and hobbled forward. All of the above. He'd thought Ruby the last of her kind, but that wasn't true anymore, was it? Ruby could finally have someone to teach her about the legacy her mother had died too soon to pass on.

He wanted to hug Rose. He wanted to shake her violently and demand answers. He wanted to see if Ruby too would achieve feats like this when she grew up and came into her own. He didn't want to die, dammit, and Rose was giving him hope that he would actually survive.

Qrow paused and shut his eyes. He tried once again to call upon the small bit of magic that Ozpin had gifted him. As before it refused to cooperate, only aggravating the pain of his injury. Apparently, his body didn't like changing shapes while his stomach was split open.

"Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked in concern. "What's wrong?"

Qrow grimaced. "Nothing, kiddo. Just trying to make your job a little easier, but it isn't working. Sorry."

Even talking was difficult, and Ruby seemed to catch on to that. She continued to eye him worriedly while stealing glances at Rose. Those glances were filled with hero worship, and why shouldn't they be? Rose was incredible, as powerful and skilled as anyone in Team STRQ had ever been, and Qrow didn't make that evaluation lightly. She used the same type of weapon as Ruby and she was even, apparently, family.

Qrow raised Harbinger with a shaky arm and fired a shotgun blast at a stay Beowolf that thought to prey upon easier pickings. The horde of Grimm was dramatically thinner now, and still shrinking by the second. If the Grimm left corpses the fields would've been carpeted in black. As it was, there would soon be no evidence of what had happened beyond the trampled and ruined ground.

Rose continued to cut through the Grimm like a woman possessed. Twice more she used flashes of silver light to wipe away masses of them at once. Qrow knew from fighting alongside Summer that Rose ought to be able to use her eyes more than she had, but she seemed to be conserving them for something. Most of the work she did the hard way, with her muscles and two scythes, raking through the Grimm like a praying mantis whenever she wasn't spinning and twirling.

And then it was over. Rose stood alone atop a grassy hill, the last remnants of her foes dissolving around her. Her hair was damp with sweat, her face and neck slick with it. Her breath came in sharp gasps. Yet she still stood unbowed, her eyes defiant, fighting through the exhaustion as if to tell the world that she had more fight left in her.

Those silver eyes locked onto his. She nodded at him. Qrow returned the nod.

For a moment they just stared at each other.

Then there came the sound of a scroll call, ringing out across the empty fields. Rose blushed, suddenly looking like any other mildly embarrassed young woman.

"Um. I think that's mine."

* * *

Blake watched impatiently as Weiss pressed her scroll tight to her head, shielding her mouth with her hand as if it would prevent the Signal students from overhearing. The students, fortunately, were chattering so loudly among themselves that there was no risk of that. Even straining with four ears Blake couldn't catch a word of whatever was being said.

Finally Weiss ended the call and sidled over to Blake. The two of them were still bringing up the rear of long column of evacuees, behind the others with huntsmen training. They had left the town walls a good distance behind, and mercifully found only a token Grimm presence outside of them. Apparently the Grimm had been content to occupy the local huntsmen and deny them the harbor.

"What did she say?" Blake pressed.

"She's got one of the girls we came here for, but the other might be in trouble," Weiss explained. "She gave me a set of coordinates for a cabin out in the woods. We're to meet her there, but be careful when we approach. The stalker Grimm is still unaccounted for."

Blake frowned. "That's concerning. I hope we're not running into a trap."

"Hence why we must take care."

Blake opened her mouth but never got a chance to speak. A sudden cheer went up from the Signal students, a cheer that soon spread to the other evacuees. Fingers were pointed towards the sky. People whooped with delight. Blake and Weiss spun around and looked up.

A massive Atlesian airship was fast approaching the besieged town. The town was largely wrecked at this point, with the grounded Sea Feilong continuing to fire off destructive blasts of lightning even when there were no more people to target. As they looked on, the airship fired an impressive laser cannon beam at the shrieking Sea Feilong. Then another. And another. It was overkill. The sea monster collapsed and began to dissipate under the bombardment.

"That's General Ironwood's flagship," Weiss muttered. "I suppose he was still in the area."

"Beacon can't be far behind," Blake warned. "I think it's best we regroup with Rose before they get here."

Even beyond Rose's wanted status, Blake was still a member of the White Fang, and still attracting strange looks from the civilians who saw her in her mask. Blake imagined she would be expected to answer a lot of awkward questions if they were picked up by the authorities.

Weiss looked at her thoughtfully and nodded. "No time to waste then. Let's get moving."

* * *

Yang's heart raced. It felt like she was on one hell of an emotional rollercoaster. From being attacked in her home by some sort of super Grimm, to being saved by a mother she'd never met, to finally watching her mother and father fighting together to protect her. It had been a nightmare. It had been a dream come true. The only constant was that it still didn't feel real.

"Watch out!" Yang cried.

Yang winced as her father was sent flying. Raven opened a portal to catch him, the other end sprouting on the ground in front of her. Taiyang shot out of the portal, back first, and into the air. Gravity pulled him down into an arc, allowing him to twist his body and land on the Grimm's head with his elbow. The Grimm was flattened by the impact. Another portal opened to swallow him up and deposit him safely beside Raven before the Grimm could counterattack.

It was like they had rehearsed it. No, it was like they were reading each other's minds. Yang eagerly drank in every detail she could as she watched her parents interact. Their teamwork was mesmerizing. Was this what it had been like when Team STRQ was together? Was this what it had been like when her parents had been together? They were awesome! It was obvious that they must have been close! What could possibly have broken them up?

A sickening thought made Yang's blood run cold. Raven had left not long after she was born. Had Raven left _because_ of Yang? Was it her fault that their marriage had ended?

The thought dulled her sense of wonder and left her a little dispirited as she watched the fight unfold.

Taiyang was bouncing on the balls of his feet, taunting the Grimm, beckoning it with an outstretched open palm. The Grimm took the bait and swiped at him with its humanoid arm. Taiyang twisted out of the way while Raven opened a portal in the space he had just occupied. The clawed arm dipped into the red and black. Raven shut the portal immediately, taking off everything from the forearm down.

"Heh." Taiyang swiped at his nose with his thumb. "This reminds me of our first date."

Raven snarled. "That wasn't a date!"

"All these years later and you're still in denial."

"When we're done here I'm going to kill you, Tai."

"Heard that before."

Yang watched, almost wistful, as Raven barked out an indignant response. Was this what it would've been like if Raven had never left? Yang wouldn't trade Ruby for anything, nor the years she'd had with Summer, but she couldn't stop herself from wondering what might have been. This felt like a glimpse of a life she'd never had. It really didn't seem so terrible that Raven should've fled to escape it.

The Grimm seemed wary for the first time, having lost one of its primary limbs. It hung back as it circled them, its tentacles pointed forwards and bristling, keeping distance between them. Raven charged as if she was going to actually try to weave her way through the deadly tendrils. At the last moment she jumped over the Grimm, opening a portal above it, the other end on the ground in front of Taiyang. The Grimm spun around to block Raven's attack as she landed and tried to strike it from behind. In that moment Taiyang jumped through the portal and dropped down onto the Grimm from above, pummeling it with his fists. Again it was pounded into the ground hard enough to leave an indent. Again it got up shortly afterwards with no sign of damage.

"You weren't kidding about its toughness," Taiyang muttered as they regrouped. "It's like punching heavy armor. Maybe worse. I don't think this is working."

"We took off its arm."

"Right. Portals work. Guillotine?"

Raven shot him a sidelong glance. "It's risky."

"You got a better idea?"

Raven merely huffed in response. Apparently understanding that to mean he'd won the argument, Taiyang circled around so that he was on the other side of the Grimm, him and Raven taking care to keep the monster between them. The Grimm snapped its attention back and forth. Finally deciding that Raven was the more pressing target, it lunged for her, its gait awkward with three limbs.

At the last moment Raven opened another portal between her and the charging Grimm. This time it drove its tentacles into the ground and came to an immediate halt, its face mere inches from the portal. That wasn't ideal, but it was nothing they hadn't expected. With the other end of the portal swirling near him, Taiyang charged from behind, ready to strike the Grimm in the back of the head to push it through.

The Grimm ducked. The attack missed. Taiyang stepped back as the Grimm's head spun around to look at him. He put his fists up, ready to dodge or parry a counterattack.

Then there were black barbed tentacles sprouting from his chest. His blood dripped from their lengths. He'd been speared from behind. The Grimm had sent its limbs through the portal in front of it, curving them around from the other end to stab him in the back. It all happened in the space of a second.

Raven closed the portal, severing the tentacles, but the damage was already done. Taiyang crumpled to the ground. There was no way those wounds wouldn't be fatal. Yang stared in numb, horrified disbelief. For a moment that same expression was mirrored on Raven's face.

"DAD!"

"TAI!"

Yang ran towards her fallen father, her own safety no longer among her concerns. Raven, on the other hand, let out an animalistic roar as she rounded on the Grimm.

A wave of choking air pressure burst from Raven as her eyes _erupted_ with flames.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** The moment you've been waiting for. You could call this the end of Act One; I do have either a continuation or a sequel in mind, and I'm not sure yet which format would be more appropriate.

Do I know where the story goes after this arc? Well, yes and no. I know roughly what the next arc looks like, and I know how it all ends. I have some essential things in mind that need to happen with certain characters. There are no detailed outlines and plenty of gaps to fill. I think the next part would need to change the formula a bit, hence why I might consider labeling it a sequel.

Of course I don't know when I'll get around to that, and I can't promise that I will!

**Beta:** N/A

* * *

Yang's world was ending. Her world was ending, and it had nothing to do with the elemental storms raging behind her.

The younger Xiao Long knelt over her father, tears streaming down her face and blurring her vision. Oh Gods, there was so much blood. His muscular chest, which she'd always associated with strength and safety and warm hugs, was full of holes. She didn't want to look but she couldn't look away. This couldn't be happening. Taiyang and Ruby were the two constants in her life, the family she could always count on to never ever leave her.

Her hands hovered over him helplessly as she looked for something to do with them, anything that might help. Yang sobbed as Taiyang lifted a trembling hand with what was obviously a great effort. She clasped it tightly as if by doing so she could keep him here and alive with her.

A blast of freezing air swept over her, tousling her hair. Behind her, dozens of spears of ice were crystalizing in the air. One by one they struck the Grimm hard and stuck to it like gum, encasing its limbs and hobbling its movement. It ripped its remaining arm free, and then a leg, but each time it shattered its bindings more spears would strike to replace them. Its body was frosted over but still moving.

Raven, breathing heavily, her expression feral, began to spin lightning between her hands. It coalesced into a ball. A bolt fell from the sky with a roar of thunder. The ball swelled in size. Another bolt added to it. Raven was wreathed in an electric glow now, her hair bristling from the sheer power crackling beneath her fingers. As the Grimm burst free from the ice, she let all of that power loose, unleashing a blast of lightning so bright that even facing away Yang felt nearly blinded. The Grimm was blasted backwards. The air reeked of ozone.

At any other time Yang would've been transfixed by the impossible display of power. Right now she couldn't care less. All of that power wasn't saving her father.

Yang cradled his head in one arm as she held his hand with the other. His eyes looked so sad, and Yang knew that he was sad for her, not for himself, because he was a great dad and he always had been and she loved him so much it hurt. It hurt so much. Like nothing since that day she was told that Summer wouldn't be coming home.

As more elemental backlash swept over them, Taiyang's eyes shifted to Raven. Understanding flickered there, and then resignation.

The powers Raven had unleashed were having an effect. The Grimm appeared scratched and scuffed and dented in a way that even their most powerful physical blows had failed to accomplish. Even so, it struggled as hard as it always had, its stamina endless, undeterred by the damage it had taken. Inch by inch it fought and clawed its way forward, towards Raven and Yang behind her.

"I'll kill you!" Raven screamed.

She flung her arms forward. The Grimm and everything in its immediate vicinity burst into flames, including the cabin and even the air itself. The ground was scorched black in an instant and there was a rush of air to replace the oxygen that had ignited. Even at a distance Yang felt the oppressive heat. Raven pressed her hands together as if trying to crush something between them. The flames leaped towards the Grimm and wrapped around it until its very flesh reddened from the heat.

There was a whistling sound, like a kettle, only louder. The Grimm began to crack like the surface of lava, revealing glowing heat underneath in tones of red and orange. In that moment it went stiff. Then it began thrashing wildly, writhing as if in agony. A liquid that looked like black tar dripped from its red eyes and down its mask.

Flames began to burn in those eyes. Just wisps at first, but they gained strength under Raven's fire.

Realizing that something was wrong, Raven shifted tactics. She lifted one hand with palm facing upwards, and a large chunk of earth ripped itself from the ground. With a gesture she slammed it against the Grimm and compressed it. The soil baked in an instant, solid and brittle, and the Grimm shed it like a shell, still aflame. Raven stamped her foot against the ground then, and the Grimm began to sink into the earth like quicksand. It flicked one of its remaining tentacles, hurling a fireball not at Raven but at Yang.

With a snarl and a blast of wind Raven swatted the fireball out of the air. It continued to throw more burning projectiles as it clawed its way free of the ground, forcing Raven onto the defensive.

Yang hadn't budged an inch even as the heat of each averted attack buffeted her. Taiyang's eyes were moving from her to Raven now, his lips moving but his words inaudible over the battle. It was clear that he wanted to be heard.

"Mom!" Yang shouted.

Raven paused, having entombed the Grimm in soil and stone. She turned to look at them, her eyes searing as they fell upon Taiyang. He met her gaze and held it.

"Get." Taiyang trembled with the effort of speaking. "Yang. Out."

It took Yang a moment to realize what he was asking for.

"No!" she her head violently, her voice cracking. "No! I'm not leaving you!"

Raven gritted her teeth as Yang continued to break down. She looked at the Grimm, which had melted through its latest prison, dripping with molten rock.

"Fuck." Raven turned back to look at Yang. "Fuck!"

With a scream of frustration she ripped a portal open with her bare hand.

* * *

They had seen the lightning and the smoke and the fire from a distance; it had been hard to miss. Swallowing his dignity, Qrow had allowed Rose to carry him bridal style as they ran for the cabin, with little Ruby running with them. Every now and then the silver-eyed girls would surge forward in a burst of petals and somehow he would be brought along for the ride.

Rose's expression was a strange blend of anxiety and hope. This was the huntress who had bested Amber, and Qrow imagined that she was thinking the same thing he was. Either someone was burning through a ruinous amount of dust, or a Maiden had unleashed her powers in combat. Had Amber followed Rose to Patch?

On the one hand it was a good sign that there might be a Maiden there, presumably on their side. On the other hand, what kind of threat could possibly be holding up against that kind of power?

Qrow had rarely felt so helpless when people he loved were in danger. The blood loss and the worry left him feeling cold and brittle as ice even as the heat of the battle began to reach them. Summer's death had been a wakeup call; Qrow knew very well what true loss could feel like. He didn't know how he had survived it. He wasn't sure he could do so again.

_Please let them be alright. Please let Tai and Yang and Zwei be safe._

Then they cleared the tree line and it all came crashing down.

The cabin that Taiyang and his family, Qrow's family, called home was broken and on fire. Smoke and flames poured from the windows and part of the structure had collapsed.

A familiar red and black portal hung in the air. They were just in time to catch a glimpse of blonde hair as a struggling Yang was pulled through it. The portal winked out of existence.

Some kind of monstrous Grimm in the shape of a human female was shaking off molten rock like a wet dog, its body covered in fiery cracks. It lunged and swiped at the portal as it disappeared, a split second too late.

And there, lying on the ground motionless, was the ruined body of the man who was Qrow's brother in all but blood.

Taiyang was dead.

Identical wails of grief went up from Ruby and Rose. Hard to speak though it was, Qrow couldn't help the moan that escaped his lips, expressing an agony that went to his soul. One of the wails crescendoed into a single word.

"DADDY!"

And then everything was silver. The light was bright enough to overwhelm the flames and whatever sunlight came from the overcast sky. It was uncontrolled and indiscriminate, painted over every surface. In a moment of shock, as Rose lowered Qrow to the ground, he realized that the silver light wasn't coming from the huntress.

It was coming from little Ruby.

With an unintelligible sound of emotion, Rose surged forward and hacked at the Grimm with her scythe. The Grimm was shielding its face with one arm, its other missing, as if blinded. Its body was rapidly flaking over with stone. It looked like it had already been through the wringer, and under the glare of Ruby's silver light, it put up only feeble resistance as Rose hacked off its other arm. Rose's eyes were shining with tears and power that was barely restrained.

"Fire, huh?" Rose snarled. "That still does it for you? Does that mean there's something left of you in there, something the parasite hasn't eaten up? Do you remember me? Do you remember what your master did to you?"

The Grimm flailed and screeched almost pathetically as Rose grasped the last of its tentacles and ripped them from its body. She then grabbed its head and stared deep into its red eyes. Red eyes that were leaking bubbling black tears.

"Answer me, Cinder!"

No response was forthcoming. Rose didn't wait long anyway. Her own eyes burst with silver light, more focused than Ruby's, if lesser in volume after her earlier battles. The combined intensity of two sets of silver eyes was bright enough to make even Qrow avert his gaze. When the light finally faded, the Grimm knelt armless on two legs, completely turned to stone. A grotesque statue.

Ruby collapsed, passing out where she had stood. Qrow checked on her automatically and found her merely unconscious. Rose somehow found the strength to stagger over them as tears ran down her face. The huntress was shivering and sniffling. She dropped to her knees, pulled Ruby into a tight embrace, and tipped over onto her side.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm sorry."

Qrow had no words. He could only watch, his own heart broken, as Rose too slipped away into unconsciousness. The huntress lay boneless in the dirt, cradling Ruby in her arms. They remained that way as the sound of approaching bullheads filled the air.

* * *

Weiss arrived at the cabin around the same time that the first contingent of Atlas soldiers and Beacon personnel disembarked. Blake trailed behind her like a shadow. The faunus girl had removed her mask, but she was still understandably hesitant in the presence of the authorities. Weiss' heart sank as she took in the scene. A dead huntsman in a pool of blood. The cabin on fire. Another huntsman, grievously injured and apparently devastated. She felt a jolt of alarm as she recognized the familiar shape of the Grimm that had killed her family, only to realize that the thing was immobile, turned wholly to stone. Weiss exhaled and calmed her nerves. It appeared that they weren't in any mortal danger at least for now.

Nearby, unconscious, brought low, was Rose herself. The huntress was clinging on to a small girl whose features were so similar that the familial connection couldn't be more obvious. Weiss realized it was the first time she had ever seen Rose's face. She caught herself staring. The woman just looked so sad that it filled Weiss with equal parts sympathy and dread.

Blake looked around grimly. "No sign of the fourth girl. Were we too late?"

"Either way, if this can be called a victory at all, I have a feeling it was a costly one," Weiss said quietly.

"Do you think Rose managed to stop the Grimm for good?"

"I couldn't say." Weiss shook her head. "It looks pretty well stopped, but it's surprised us before. It could be she's only bought us more time."

"Hope for the best. Plan for the worst."

Weiss nodded. The nightmare seemed like it would never end. They certainly weren't ready to believe that it had.

"It all feels too familiar." Blake glanced at the burning cabin uncomfortably. "Like I'm back at the camp."

"I know what you mean."

Weiss shook her head to keep herself from getting lost in her memories of the attack on Schnee Manor. The soldiers were already bundling the injured man onto a stretcher, strapping him down despite his loud protests about his niece. He was quickly ushered onto a bullhead and lifted out for treatment. The soldiers were much more cautious about approaching the fallen Rose.

Naturally Weiss and Blake did all they could to discourage them. They planted themselves in front of the huntress and her miniature lookalike.

"Miss Schnee," the officer in charge said. "Please stand aside."

Weiss gave him her coldest look. "I'd like to know what your business is with my friend and bodyguard."

"She's a dangerous criminal wanted in both Atlas and Vale. We have orders to take her in, approved by General Ironwood and Headmaster Ozpin. No disrespect to the SDC, ma'am, but you don't have a place in our chain of command."

"You can't arrest her. She hasn't done anything wrong."

The man snorted. "Robbery. Trespassing. Destruction of property. Public exposure. Resisting arrest. Assaulting Atlas military personnel. Assaulting a Vale huntress on an official mission." He looked Weiss up and down. "Kidnapping."

"I wasn't kidnapped, she saved my life! And look at them!" Weiss gestured at Rose curled up with the girl on the ground. "You can't separate them! That girl has clearly been through an ordeal, and I don't know what Rose is to her, but she's obviously related. How can you be so cruel?"

"Miss Schnee, my own opinions don't factor into this. The laws of two kingdoms require that we deliver that woman to Beacon's custody. I'd rather this not come to force, but we are authorized to use it if necessary."

Weiss balled her fists at her sides and was about to threaten them with all of the resources of the SDC when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Blake shaking her head sadly. Weiss closed her eyes and took a few steadying breaths. Blake was right, losing her temper here could easily see the situation devolve into violence.

"Then I'm coming to Beacon as well." Weiss declared. "I'll not have her deprived of her rights."

"We were told to invite you along anyway." The officer turned to narrow his eyes at Blake. "You know, we got reports of a female member of the White Fang participating in the fighting."

Blake's ears flattened against her head. Weiss interjected with more force this time.

"Please spare us the baseless insinuations," she said acidly. "This girl is with me and she'll not be saying a word to you without a lawyer present."

The soldiers seemed to know how to pick their battles, as they left Blake alone without further fuss. Instead they came with restraints for Rose. The restraints looked like cruel straps of metal with latches and clasps; Weiss fumed on the inside as they were applied to Rose's wrists, elbows, ankles and knees. It felt patently wrong to see Rose like that.

Then a medic approached holding a syringe and Weiss nearly drew Myrtenaster right then and there.

"It's just a sedative," the officer explained. "For her safety and ours. It's best that she stays out until she can be properly secured at Beacon."

Weiss gritted her teeth as the medic injected the already unconscious and restrained Rose. Blake was good at hiding her feelings, but Weiss could tell that the faunus was furious as well. Weiss watched as they carried Rose off to another bullhead, leaving the smaller girl in the red cloak behind.

"What about her?" Weiss gestured at the girl.

"Some of our troops were going to escort her to Beacon as well." The officer shrugged at Weiss' unhappy expression. "You can look after her yourself if you're so concerned. Let us know when you're ready to leave and we'll get you on a bullhead."

The soldiers turned and went about their business. Weiss and Blake looked at each other, then walked over to the unconscious girl who looked so much like Rose. They didn't know anything about her, but they could both sense that she was in the same boat, a victim of the same prolonged tragedy. She looked so small curled up alone like that. A little tricolor dog with a drooping head and tail padded over and snuggled up next to her.

Without really thinking, Weiss extended her hand towards Blake. An invitation. Blake took it. The two of them stood there holding hands, offering each other silent support as they gazed down at the younger girl who had been left in their care.

* * *

"I hate you!"

Raven grimaced as a tearful Yang threw a fist at her. Raven blocked the blow on instinct. It was feeble, telegraphed, without the slightest chance of hurting her. Yang's aura was still the next best thing to depleted. Undeterred, Yang began swinging wildly, her face twisted with grief and rage. Raven continued to block and dodge until finally she caught Yang's fist and shoved the girl backwards and onto her rear. Yang glared up at her from the ground.

"Sixteen years you wanted nothing to do with me!" she shouted. "Then you walk back into my life just so you can sit back and watch, real comfy, while my dad gets killed in front of you?!"

Raven's eyes flashed dangerously. "Shut the hell up. You have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'm not stupid! You could have saved him!"

"I did what I could!"

"Liar!" Yang roared. "I saw all of that power you busted out only after he was dead! Why didn't you use that sooner? Why did you use dad as your shield? You were hiding behind him! You coward!"

Raven snarled and raised an open palm, ready to slap the infuriating brat. Something stayed her hand at the last moment, something she couldn't possibly explain. Seeing what Raven had been about to do, Yang's eyes widened. The girl leaned forward, offering her cheek, daring Raven to follow through. Raven's fingers curled down into a fist, which she clenched but lowered.

Without another word Raven spun around and stormed out of her tent. Yang's parting shouts rang out behind her.

"Yeah that's right! Leave! Leave like you've always done! It's all you're good for!"

It was already night in Mistral, and Raven screamed wordlessly into the dark. The other members of the Branwen tribe avoided eye contact as she marched away from the camp. They all knew better than to ask questions or do anything to draw her attention when she was like this. She had a clear path out onto the empty plains.

Breathing heavily with emotion, Raven tested the bonds of her Semblance again. There was emptiness in the place where Taiyang should have been. It felt quite literally like losing a part of herself, whenever a bond was broken. She'd learned that the hard way on the morning she'd awoken hungover, in a cold sweat, to find Summer missing. Except this time it had happened right in front of her.

There was nothing she could have done. She couldn't have saved him. She couldn't have.

_Liar!_

Raven screamed again and shook her head madly, like a dog with fleas. She desperately tested her Semblance again, searching for Qrow, finding the connection weak. He was hurt, still on the brink. There was no chance that he'd be good for anything anytime soon. Not that the drunken idiot was an appropriate guardian for a teenage girl anyway. It wouldn't be like leaving Yang with Summer. She couldn't just dump her problem on him and expect things to turn out alright.

Like it or not, and she definitely didn't, Raven was the only parent Yang had left.

"Summer. Tai." Raven lifted her gaze up at the stars, completely lost. "What the fuck am I supposed to do?"

* * *

The young woman examined her reflection in the dark crystal, one of the countless that decorated the palace. Through its faint purple glow she searched for any sign of the changes she had undergone. She didn't look any different on the outside. By all appearances she was as flawless as she had ever been.

And yet she hadn't been flawless before, had she? She'd merely been human.

Her Queen had made her better. Her Queen had made her more.

As if to illustrate that truth, the woman felt a gentle twitch behind her left eye. It was like someone else flexing a muscle inside her own body. There was an instinctive wrongness to it, that sensation of something alien slithering inside her skin, to feel her own flesh part and make way for it. To know that she shared that skin now.

She didn't fight it, instead luxuriating in the feeling.

It wasn't painful. Oh, there had been a little at the beginning, like pins and needles, or tiny ants crawling through her. It had crept from between her shoulder blades and into the rest of her body. It saw through one of her eyes now. There was enough in her left arm to serve as a very specialized weapon. She could even feel it curling possessively around her throat.

A small price to pay for the power and status it would win her. It felt more at home inside her by the minute. Sometimes she could almost forget that it was there. Almost. Every now and then there was always a foreign twitch amidst her muscles or against her organs, involuntary, quite separate from her own will. A reminder that not all of her body belonged to her anymore.

Some of it was Grimm now. Permanently, wholly belonging to her Queen.

The nearby doors swung open to reveal a long hall. The walls were covered with enormous windows from floor to ceiling, looking out onto a desolate wasteland. The only light was the faint glow of the crystals and a series of candles placed atop them. A figure awaited inside, larger than life and shrouded in shadow. The young woman entered the chamber and gracefully dropped to one knee. A practiced position for her in this place.

"Cinder. How are you liking your gift?"

"It feels incredible," Cinder replied honestly. "It's more than I could have imagined."

"Good. Over the centuries many have accepted boons from me. Yours, however, is special. The only one of its kind. I have high hopes for you, Cinder. Hopes that you will become something greater and more magnificent than any who have come before. My finest work."

"I'm honored, my Queen."

Salem's smile hid a hint of a smirk. On anyone else, Cinder might have found it suspicious. It wasn't her place to doubt Salem, however. There had never been any room for that at all.

"It suits you," Salem purred. "It shares your hunger for power. And on that subject, how goes your progress on feeding it?"

Cinder bowed her head. "I'm afraid that within the past week the Fall Maiden has seemingly vanished. She's no longer anywhere to be found along her usual routes. I believe she may have abruptly been recalled to Beacon."

"A pity." Salem tutted. "No matter. There will be other opportunities. As it turns out, the vanishment of the Fall Maiden appears to coincide with another curiosity that has caught my attention. Have you heard that the sad little island of Patch was recently overrun by an unusually large and determined swarm of Grimm? It's caused quite the stir at Beacon."

"You had not shared any such designs with me before, my Queen."

"Yes. Interesting, is it not, that I had nothing to do with it?"

Cinder looked up, startled. Salem held dominion over all Grimm. They might act independently according to their programming, but they almost never surprised their Queen.

"At the end of the day it's an idle curiosity and quite likely a waste of time," Salem mused. "However, I have nothing but time. I'd like you to return to Vale, Cinder. Look into this curiosity for me. Find out what happened on that island."

"It will be done," Cinder vowed. "I'll get to the bottom of this, even if I have to infiltrate Beacon itself."

A mission. A challenge.

The Grimm inside her throbbed in anticipation.

END OF ACT I

* * *

**A/N:** So, what did you think? Sorry to leave it here for now, but this sets things up nicely for me to continue with someday. Thanks again for reading and for all the support. If you liked it please share it with your friends and spread the love. Who knows? If the reviews pour in maybe I'll feel like returning to this sooner than I expect.


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